After eight months of Covid-19 restrictions, Orbis has recommenced sight-saving activities in Ethiopia. Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye which can cause irreversible blindness. Unfortunately trachoma affects many people in impoverished regions of Ethiopia. However, there is an antibiotic, costing just 12 cent, that treats and prevents the disease. Orbis aims to distribute the antibiotic to 150,000 people in the Dita and Oyida regions of Southern Ethiopia before the end of this year.
Two million people currently live in the region in Southern Ethiopia where approximately 34,000 people are suffering with the chronic, painful and blinding eye disease, trachoma. Orbis needs to distribute these antibiotics to communities annually. If we do not reach communities this year, the distributions in previous years become ineffective.
In order to catch up on the backlog caused by Covid-19 restrictions, Orbis aims to distribute the antibiotic, Zithromax, to 150,000 people in the Dita and Oyida regions before the end of this year. The antibiotic will treat the active trachoma infection and prevent the disease from further transmission.
This antibiotic, kindly donated by Pfizer, will be distributed annually for between three and five years will enable the society to attain freedom from trachoma and allow the next generation to grow up free from the threat of blindness.
