Ethiopia: Program Expands Partners and Reach
(Trachoma Matters, Fall 2007)

- Ethiopia

In 2003, ITI began supporting the implementation of the SAFE strategy in three weredas (districts) of two regions (Amhara and SNNPR) in collaboration with the Carter Center, ORBIS, and World Vision. In 2005, ITI’s support expanded to two more regions (Afar and Tigray) in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, NGOs, donors, and other partners. The number of districts with SAFE increased from 25 in 2005 to 36 in 2006 and to 55 in 2007. SAFE with Zithromax expanded more than fifteen-fold between 2003 and 2007 i.e. from 394,795 treatments in 2003 to 6,044,714 treatments in 2007.

• Download a list of the SAFE strategy implementing partners in Ethiopia.
• Surgery:  A total number of 127,822 people underwent surgery for trachomatous trichiasis to date. In 2007, ITI-supported partners performed TT surgeries on 51,624 people, which is more than the set target of 50,000. However, a lot has still to be done to address the need to clear the backlog.
  
• Antibiotics: Over 14.5 million Zithromax treatments were distributed from 2003 to 2007. The number of districts, where Zithromax was distributed increased from 3 in 2003 to 55 in 2007. The major challenge to scale up MDA in all the regions is lack of funding and government ownership of the program for trachoma control.

Facial Cleanliness and Environmental Improvement

• Health education about how to prevent trachoma is given by partners through school health education programmes and community sessions in areas where Zithromax distributions are being carried out. Partners are also working with Health Extension Workers to empower communities with the knowledge about why and how to build pit latrines and keeping their environment clean to prevent trachoma.
  
  
• Although there are projects to improve safe water supply and sanitation coverage in the country that could contribute towards improved implementation in the F&E components, they still remain largely inadequate.

Population (est. 2006): 75 million
Human Development Rank: 169 out of 177
# Districts in Ethiopia: 611
# Endemic Districts: 587
# "Graduated" Districts: 24 (as of 12/31/07)

• Ethiopia Trachoma Control Program began in 2001
• National Program Coordinator: Ato Zegeye Haile