Fighting Disease:  Ghana

Controlling Trachoma

The leading cause of preventable blindness in the world, trachoma is an excruciating bacterial disease endemic to the poorest countries of the world. Although not typically a fatal disease, severe trachoma is disabling, debilitating, and eventually leads to blindness. The Carter Center supports trachoma control in six African countries in partnership with trachoma-endemic communities, ministries of health, the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Pfizer Inc., and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Learn more about the Carter Center's Trachoma Control Program >

From 1999 to 2011, the Carter Center's Trachoma Control Program, with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, has assisted the Ghana Health Service's Trachoma Control Program to promote hygiene and sanitation. In 2008, with technical assistance from The Carter Center, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to eliminate blinding trachoma as a public health problem through implementation of the SAFE strategy.

In what were formerly trachoma-endemic communities, health education was a powerful tool in the control of trachoma. Village health workers, trained schoolteachers, and even radio stations participated in hygiene improvement activities sponsored by the Ghana Health Service. The Carter Center supported the training of more than 8,000 community health workers, including teachers, environmental health officers, and village volunteers, to deliver the core program messages to rural villages.

Radio broadcasts were one of the most effective ways to reach Ghanaian villagers – especially those living in some of the most isolated and remote areas of the country. From 2002-2008, simple and captivating trachoma prevention jingles were broadcast to endemic communities in local languages.

Read More: Ghana Evaluates Impact of Radio Learning Groups, Eye of the Eagle Newsletter, Volume 5, Number 2 (PDF) >

To encourage the adoption of radio lessons into daily life, the program supported "radio-listening clubs" in the Upper West region. The program donated wind-up radios (removing the need to buy batteries) to selected villages and supported local radio stations in the production and broadcast of weekly trachoma shows. After the shows were broadcast, club members discussed the messages among each other.

Read the Article: Trachoma Radio-listening Club Volunteer Spreads Health Messages Across Ghana >

The Carter Center began supporting household latrine construction to improve environmental sanitation in 2003. The Center engaged local leadership to encourage community members to build latrines, and the program was a resounding success—7,499 household latrines were constructed from 2002 to 2009.

The Carter Center was among many other partners supporting the Ghana Health Service to develop a surveillance system for trachoma to ensure the nation's achievements against this devastating disease are sustained. With continued dedication and hard work, future generations in Ghana will never be threatened by blindness from trachoma.

The Carter Center ended its in-country activities in Ghana in August 2011.

Read the Article: Achieving Trachoma Control in Ghana After Implementing the SAFE Strategy (PDF) >

Read the Press Release: Three Countries Announce Elimination of Blinding Trachoma at Meeting of Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma >

Learn more about the Carter Center's Trachoma Control Program in Ghana (in search result format) >