Impact of evidence-based programmatic adaptations in addressing persistence and recrudescence of trachoma in Kajiado County, Kenya
Summary
Health surveys in 2021 confirmed that trachoma, a serious infectious eye disease, was still actively spreading in parts of Kenya’s Kajiado sub-counties, requiring immediate investigations and adjustments to intervention strategies. This article presents the results of a study looking at the impact of changes focused on improving the delivery of mass drug administration (MDA). These efforts were highly successful, leading to a significant increase in MDA coverage, with one area (Kajiado Central) boosting coverage from 69.3% to 95.3%. Between 2021 and 2024, the prevalence of active trachoma declined substantially in all sub-counties, and the rate of infection dropped below 1%.
Overall, these programme changes achieved high treatment coverage and significantly reduced active disease and infection, marking major progress towards the elimination of trachoma in the region, though continued monitoring is needed to sustain these gains.
This article is part of the supplement ‘Sightsavers at 75: delivering impact through health and inclusion research’ in the journal International Health, published in collaboration with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in celebration of Sightsavers’ 75th anniversary.