Fighting Disease:  Mali

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 >

For additional information and updates on the Trachoma Control Program, read the latest issue of Eye of the Eagle >

Since 1999, The Carter Center has supported the National Prevention of Blindness Program of the Malian Ministry of Health to control trachoma, a major public health problem in the country.

The Carter Center's support to the National Prevention of Blindness Program historically focused on facial cleanliness and environmental sanitation interventions in the Segou and Mopti regions. In late 2008, the Malian National Prevention of Blindness Program engaged its partners to create a plan to reach national trachoma elimination by 2015.  In response, The Carter Center expanded its support to implement SAFE strategy interventions in Segou, Mopti, and Sikasso regions with generous support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The International Trachoma Initiative, Helen Keller International, and the Malian Lions Club as well as other local partners also support trachoma elimination in Mali.

Trichiasis surgery is available from the routine health service throughout Mali. The national program also supports outreach campaigns to increase the accessibility of trichiasis surgery among the target
population. These campaigns are organized either by a single trichiasis surgeon traveling from
community to community by motorcycle over a 10-day period or through large-scale, weeklong
campaigns with teams of surgeons traveling in vehicles.

It is estimated that more than 64,000 people are currently in need of immediate surgery to prevent blindness. In 2010, The Carter Center facilitated more than 5,600 surgeries, more than half of the total national output.

The Carter Center also has supported the distribution of antibiotics — tetracycline eye ointment and Zithromax® (azithromycin, donated by Pfizer Inc.) — for trachoma elimination where gaps were identified by the national program. In 2010, a total of 3,082,808 doses of azithromycin and 63,018 doses of tetracycline eye ointment were distributed in the Kidal, Gao, Tombouctou, and Mopti regions, in addition to a few districts in Ségou, Koulikoro, and Kayes.

With a strong focus on health education, The Carter Center has supported the training of community health agents, local leaders, and community radio station DJs. The program also supports the training of women's groups to encourage radio listening activities, and soap making to encourage hand and face washing and as a small-scale income-generating activity.

Rural radio is used to promote all aspects of the SAFE strategy to prevent trachoma and generate community support for surgical campaigns and mass distribution campaigns. In partnership with Helen Keller International, The Carter Center supports 100 radio stations throughout Mali to broadcast trachoma messages, reaching an estimated audience of more than 11 million people. In addition, The Carter Center supports ongoing health education on trachoma prevention that benefited more than 2,000 villages in 2010.

The Carter Center has supported the construction of household latrines in Mali since 1999. In 2010, the Center supported the construction of 11,907 latrines. Health education messages promote communitywide adoption of latrines and routine use to ensure trachoma and other diseases are prevented.

To assist national planning and target setting, The Carter Center also supports the Malian trachoma elimination program with prevalence survey training and implementation. In 2009, the Mali Trachoma Control Program implemented district-level trachoma prevalence surveys in Kayes, Kidal, and Koulikoro regions. Mapping of Ségou and Sikasso regions was conducted in early 2010, with prevalence surveys in Mopti and Tombouctou completed in early 2011. The data from these surveys have shown dramatic reductions in the prevalence of trachoma infections among children ages 1-9 years that have reached below 5 percent in 32 districts. As a result of these successes, the national program now is investigating options for post-endemic surveillance.

Efforts like these continue to help many people in Mali live healthier lives. By preventing blindness from trachoma, more adults can work, more children can go to school, and Mali's development goals can be more quickly achieved.

Read the Real Lives, Real Change feature: Sadi Moussa:  Public Health Worker Begins Third Decade of Improving Lives, Battling Guinea Worm and Trachoma in Mali >

Learn more about the Carter Center's trachoma work in Mali (in search result format) >