Take the mini quiz below to discover more about this ancient and blinding disease.
The trachoma mini quiz
Trachoma is a bacterial infection in the eye which, if left untreated, will eventually cause a person’s eyelids to turn inwards and the eyelashes to scratch the surface of the eye. To stop the excruciating pain, people often resort to removing their eyelashes. Over time, people’s eyelashes can scratch their eyes so badly that they go blind.
Q1: What Percentage of Children in Ethiopia Have Trachoma?
A) 40%
B) 20%
C) 10%
Reveal Answer
B - In some communities in Ethiopia, up to 20% of children aged 1-9 years old have a trachoma infection.
Meskenem is just four years old and lives in Ethiopia.
She had several painful eye infections in the year before she attended a nearby eye clinic and was diagnosed with trachoma.
With treatment and good hygiene, her vision can be protected and her suffering ended.
She had several painful eye infections in the year before she attended a nearby eye clinic and was diagnosed with trachoma.
With treatment and good hygiene, her vision can be protected and her suffering ended.
Q2: Which Country Has the Highest Rate for Trachoma?
A) Yemen
B) Kenya
C) Ethiopia
Reveal Answer
C - 55% of the world’s trachoma is found in Ethiopia where 64 million people live in areas needing interventions to address trachoma infections.
Tsehay is an Orbis-trained Integrated Eye Care Worker from Ethiopia who loves her work. “I’m very interested in eyes. I enjoy doing eye surgery!” It’s lucky she enjoys it, as she's performed over 600 surgeries since she was first trained!
Considering the impact Tsehay's had, it’s clear her role is crucial if we are to end irreversible sight loss.
Considering the impact Tsehay's had, it’s clear her role is crucial if we are to end irreversible sight loss.
Integrated Eye Care Worker Tsehay at the Gamo Gofa Zada Health Clinic in Ethiopia
Q3: How Many People Have Been Left With Sight Loss Due to Trachoma?
A) 500,000
B) 1 million
C) 1.9 million
Reveal Answer
C - 1.9 million have been left with visual impairment as a result of trachoma.
Q4: What Percentage of People Affected by Trachoma Are Women?
A) 50%
B) 70%
C) 40%
Patient stories: treating Malate, Ethiopia, for trachoma
For mother of two Malate, repeated trachoma infections have caused severe scarring on the inside of her eyelids, and her eyelashes have turned inward.
Malate explains: “For more than a year I’ve been suffering with this eye problem. It started with tearing, then throbbing eye pain.”
Read on to discover how Malate's life was transformed.
Malate explains: “For more than a year I’ve been suffering with this eye problem. It started with tearing, then throbbing eye pain.”
Read on to discover how Malate's life was transformed.
Reveal Answer
B - Women make up 70% of people affected by the pain of blinding trachoma, because they are most likely to care for children who are the main carriers of trachoma infection.
