Little was known about trachoma in Uganda until 2006 when Uganda became one of the first recipients of NTD funding through USAID. This allowed for the first widespread epidemiological mapping of the country. The mapping effort established that Uganda was endemic for trachoma in over 25 districts. Uganda was one of USAID’s NTD Fast Track countries and began integrated NTD programming in 2006/2007. MDA with Zithromax® started in 2007 with nine districts receiving the donated drug.

To date, a number of districts have completed their requisite number of MDA rounds and have conducted impact surveys. 

Partners in full SAFE implementation include RTI/ENVISION through USAID funding, Sightsavers, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and The Carter Center. 

Uganda shares a border with five countries: DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, of which, four are known to be endemic for trachoma: DRC, Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania. Uganda attended the first and second East Africa Cross Border Meetings in Kenya and Tanzania, and hosted the Third Annual East Africa Cross Border Meeting in July 2017 in Kampala. 

Currently these are a number of unmapped districts along the DRC, Kenya and Rwanda border. It will be imperative that the program verify that these districts are indeed less than 5% in order to declare elimination.