Trachoma Expert Committee Reviews Zithromax® Applications for 2013

 

More than 900,000 Zithromax® treatments were approved for delivery to two new countries and tens of millions more were approved to support existing national trachoma programs in 17 countries during the most recent Trachoma Expert Committee (TEC) meeting in Atlanta in June. The new countries, Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad, will both begin distributing treatments for trachoma in 2013.

The TEC is an independent body of seven internationally-recognized experts in the fields of public health, ophthalmology, blindness prevention, and all aspects of the SAFE strategy. During the last meeting, two TEC members rotated off the committee and one new member was welcomed. 

Committee Chair Allen Foster thanked Catherine Cross of the UK and Wondu Alemayehu of Ethiopia for their dedication and service to the TEC over the past two years.  He then heartily welcomed Serge Resnikoff to the group. Resnikoff, MD, PhD, specializes in economic development and institutional capacity building for better governance in his work for DMI Associates, based in France. He has worked at the World Health Organization and was originally trained as an ophthalmologist. 

 

Allen Foster (right) chairs the Trachoma Expert Committee, which met recently in Atlanta. ITI staff prepares the documents the TEC reviews to decide which districts can receive Zithromax®. Photo by Bill Nigut for ITI.

The TEC is a decision-making body that meets twice annually to review country applications for Zithromax® and provide invaluable guidance on strategic, technical and operational issues. Members review applications district by district to determine which to approve for treatment.

The next TEC meeting will be held Nov 29-30 in London.