Magnitude of trachoma and barriers to uptake of lid surgery in a rural community of northern Nigeria

AIMS. A population-based cross-sectional survey for trachoma prevalence was conducted in a subdistrict of northern Nigeria. The objectives of the survey were to determine the magnitude and pattern of trachoma and the barriers to uptake of lid surgery in the area. METHODS. A total of 2903 people of a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ophthalmic epidemiology 2001, Vol.8 (2-3), p.181-190
Main Authors: Rabiu, Mansur M., Abiose, Adenike
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Blindness - prevention & control
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Eyelashes - surgery
Eyelids - surgery
Female
Hair Diseases - surgery
Hair Removal
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Infant
Male
Middle Aged
Nigeria - epidemiology
Prevalence
Rural Population - statistics & numerical data
Sex Distribution
Trachoma - epidemiology
Trachoma - surgery
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:AIMS. A population-based cross-sectional survey for trachoma prevalence was conducted in a subdistrict of northern Nigeria. The objectives of the survey were to determine the magnitude and pattern of trachoma and the barriers to uptake of lid surgery in the area. METHODS. A total of 2903 people of all ages were examined out of 3715 registered eligible persons. The study population was chosen by a two-stage cluster random sampling technique. Each person was examined for signs of trachoma. The World Health Organization (WHO) simplified trachoma grading was used. Persons with trichiasis that had not attended hospital were asked why they had not sought hospital treatment. RESULTS. A blindness prevalence of 1.5% (95% CI 0.4%-2.7%) was found in the study population. About 20% of the blindness were due to trachoma. The prevalence of trichiasis among women 15 years and above was found to be 8.6% (95% CI 6.8%­10.7%). The prevalence of active trachoma among children was 11.8% (95% CI 10.1%­13.3%). Over 90% of people with trichiasis have not sought medical attention. The major identified factor that prevents people from accessing hospital treatment for trichiasis was cost (57%). CONCLUSION. This study suggests that trachoma is of public health significance in this area; as such, an effective trachoma control program with emphasis on lid surgery should be established.
ISSN:0928-6586
1744-5086
DOI:10.1076/opep.8.2.181.4167