Strengthening the links between mapping, planning and global engagement for disease elimination: lessons learnt from trachoma

The trachoma community undertook a systematic, three-pronged strategy to map trachoma district by district, develop national-level trachoma elimination plans, and create a framework for governments, donors and partners to convene and coordinate in support of trachoma elimination. These efforts resulted in a frame-shift in internal and external perceptions of the global trachoma programme, from being an effort working towards disease control in focused geographical areas, to one in the process of achieving worldwide disease elimination. Multiple factors contributed to the successful implementation of this three-pronged strategy. Planning for success is a critical first step.