Prevalence of Active Trachoma and Associated Risk Factors Among
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Kassim et al. BMC Infectious Diseases (2019) 19:353 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-3992-5 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Prevalence of active trachoma and associated risk factors among children of the pastoralist population in Madda Walabu rural district, Southeast Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study Kemal Kassim1, Jeylan Kassim2, Rameto Aman2, Mohammedawel Abduku3, Mekonnen Tegegne2 and Biniyam Sahiledengle2* Abstract Background: In developing countries particularly in sub-Saharan Africa trachoma is still a public health concern. Ethiopia is the most affected of all and bears the highest burden of active trachoma. In spite of this, the prevalence of active trachoma among the pastoralist population in Ethiopia not yet disclosed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of active trachoma and associated risk factors among children in a pastoralist population in Madda Walabu rural district, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among children in a pastoralist population in Madda Walabu rural district, from May 1 to 30, 2017. A systematic sampling technique was employed to select 409 children’s. Simplified WHO classification scheme was used to assess trachoma. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 406 children aged 1–9 years have participated, 89 (22%) [95%CI: 18.0–25.6%] were positive for active trachoma. Of these cases, 75(84%) had TI alone in one or both eyes, 14(16%) had TF alone in one or both eyes, and none of the children had both TI and TF. The odds of having active trachoma among children from households using river/ponds, unprotected well/spring and rainwater as their source of drinking water were higher than those from households using water from piped or public tap water (AOR:13,95%CI: 2.9, 58.2), (AOR: 6.1, 95%CI: 1.0,36.5) and (AOR: 4.8, 95%CI:1.3,17.8) respectively. Children’s from households that lacked a latrine (AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 5.3), children who did not wash their face by using soap (AOR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.8, 10.6) and children from households within 16–30 min of water source (AOR: 8.7, 95% CI: 2.20, 34.2) were higher odds of having active trachoma. Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed that close to one-quarter of the total children screened for trachoma were positive for the disease. The finding implies that trachoma is still a major concern among children of the pastoralist community which demands further attention of the district health office. Again, intervention with the A, F and E components of SAFE strategy is strongly recommended. Keywords: Trachoma, Children, Pastoralist population, Bale zone, Ethiopia * Correspondence: [email protected] 2Department of Public Health, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Bale Goba, Ethiopia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2019 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Kassim et al. BMC Infectious Diseases (2019) 19:353 Page 2 of 7 Background data in such community is very important for planning Trachoma is a disease caused by the bacterium C. tra- and implementation of effective trachoma control pro- chomatis. According to the World Health Organization grams, for the country like Ethiopia where trachoma (WHO) simplified trachoma grading system, redness, ranks the first in the list of high burden countries. Fur- and irritation, with follicles on the tarsal conjunctiva, thermore, the current study is crucial to evaluate the on- meet the definition of trachomatous inflammation– fol- going intervention. Therefore, the objective of this study licular (TF) [1]. The infection commonly spreads from was to determine the prevalence of active trachoma and person to person through direct contact [1, 2]. Accord- associated risk factors among children in the pastoralist ing to the recent systematic review estimate, trachoma population in Madda Walabu rural district, southeast accounts for 0.45 million blindness and 1.4 million Ethiopia. vision impartment [2]. Moreover, it is considered as a public health problem in more than 50 countries, with Methods an estimated 158 million people at risk of blindness [1, 3]. Study design and settings Blinding trachoma also considered as a neglected A community-based cross-sectional study was employed tropical disease and earmarked for global elimination by among children age 1–9 years of the pastoralist popula- the year 2020, using the advocated World Health tions in Madda Walabu rural district, Oromia Regional Organization (WHO) recommended a SAFE strategy. State, Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia from May 1 to 30, This involves Surgery for trichiasis, Antibiotics for infec- 2017. Oromia is the largest of the nine regions of tion, Facial cleanliness to limit transmission, and Envir- Ethiopia by both landmass and number of residents, ac- onmental improvement [4, 5]. cording to the 2005–2006 national survey of blindness; In Sub-Saharan Africa, trachoma is a leading cause of low vision and trachoma estimated the region-level preventable blindness [4]. And, Ethiopia is the most af- prevalence of TF among children 1–9 years of age to be fected of all and bears the highest burden of active 24.5% [9]. In addition, the recent population-based trachoma [3, 6–9]. A study conducted by the Global prevalence surveys conducted with the Global Trachoma Trachoma Mapping Project from December 2012 to July Mapping Project baseline trachoma map in Oromia re- 2014 in the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia reported ported that both active trachoma and trichiasis are the overall age-adjusted TF prevalence in 1–9-year-olds highly prevalent in Oromia, constituting a significant was 23.4% [7]. Studies conducted elsewhere in Ethiopia public health problem for the region [7]. According to also recorded a high prevalence of trachoma; in Gondar Global Trachoma Mapping Project baseline trachoma Zuria district the prevalence of active trachoma was report, the TF prevalence among children aged 1–9 years 12.1% [10], Leku town (southern Ethiopia) the overall ranged from a low of 1.1% in Gaji woreda of West Well- prevalence of active trachoma found to be 11.0% (Trach- ega to a high of 48.7% in the Horo Guduru zone wore- omatous inflammation- Follicular 9.8% and Intense das [7]. According to 2013 GTMP figures and the 1.2%) [11]. In the same way, a high burden of active trachoma atlas report, Madda Walabu was known for trachoma repeatedly reported from all corner of the endemic trachoma [18]. country [11–17]. And in many rural parts of Ethiopia, Madda Walabu is one among the nine pastoralist dis- trachoma continues to be rampant. For example, in the tricts of the Bale Zone. Madda Walabu is mainly charac- north and south Wollo zones of Amhara region the terized by cattle livestock farmer population. It is located overall prevalence of active trachoma among children 630 Km from Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia). aged 1–9 was 21.6% (18% of TF cases and 4.7% were TI It has 22 kebeles (sub-districts) with a total population cases) [16]. In Gazegibela district of Wagehemra zone, of 127,682 according to Bale Zone health office 2016/ among children aged 1–9 years 52.4% were positive for 2017 population projection. In the district, there are one active trachoma. Of these cases, 49.1% were trachoma- primary hospital, 6 health centers, and 20 health posts. tous inflammation-follicular and 3.3% were trachoma- There is also one Integrated Eye Care Worker (IECW) tous inflammation-intense [17]. service. Despite these extensive studies data on the prevalence of active trachoma among the pastoralist population still Sample size determination limited. Moreover, none of the previously conducted The sample size was determined using a single popula- studies assesses the prevalence of active trachoma tion proportion formula by considering the following as- among the pastoralist population in southeast Ethiopia sumptions: p = 41.3% prevalence of active trachoma in expect one study which a baseline survey conducted in children 1–9 years in Oromia regional state [9], 95% 2013 by Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP), confidence interval (CI), and a 5% margin of error and which reported the prevalence of TF in the district was considering 10% non-response rate, the final sample size 38.8% [7]. Hence, reliable population-based prevalence was 409 children. Kassim et al. BMC Infectious Diseases (2019) 19:353 Page 3 of 7 Sampling procedure Trachomatous inflammation follicular (TF): has been A systematic sampling technique was employed to select suggested by WHO as the key indicator for assessing ac- children age 1–9 years. From 22 kebeles (sub-districts) tive trachoma and it was defined as the presence of five of Madda Walabu district, six rural sub-districts were se- or more follicles in the upper tarsal conjunctiva (follicles lected using a simple random sampling technique. Con- must be at least 0.5 mm in diameter). sequently, Waltae Burra, Ware, Ela Bidire, Berisa, Oda Trachomatous inflammation-intense (TI): pronounced Boji and Oda sub-districts were selected. After sampling inflammatory thickening of the tarsal conjunctiva that frame preparation, that contains lists of households with obscures more than half of the normal deep tarsal children age 1–9 years old from health extension house vessels.