Orbis Provides Clean Water to Save Sight, Ethiopia

With your support, Orbis is working to make sure everyone, everywhere, has access to the eye care they need. 

In Ethiopia, we have been working hard to eliminate trachoma for 20 years. Through performing vital surgeries, distributing sight-saving antibiotics, and finding compelling ways to raise all-important awareness, we are succeeding in eliminating blinding and life-destroying eye diseases, Like trachoma.

Repeated trachoma infection can lead to trichiasis, a painful condition in which the eyelids turn inwards so the lashes scrape the cornea. If left untreated, trichiasis can lead to permanent blindness.

We continue to implement the World Health Organization’s SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) strategy for the elimination of blinding trachoma as a public health problem.

In 2017, we provided over 5,700 surgical treatments and distributed over 1.1 million antibiotics to those at immediate risk of blindness across rural Ethiopia.  

Recent survey results revealed significant progress towards achieving this aim. Most pleasingly, in ten of the 23 districts surveyed, it was confirmed that no further distribution of antibiotics was required. Which means 1.2 million Ethiopians are no longer at risk of developing this devastating disease.

This achievement is phenomenal and something we are very proud to be part of - thank you for being part of our journey. 

Thank you for your support of Orbis - your making a real difference to millions of people's lives. 

Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness and one of 17 neglected tropical diseases that affect over one billion of the world’s poorest people. The disease is transmitted through contact with eye discharge from an infected person, via contaminated objects like towels, handkerchiefs, fingers and, in some cases, eye-seeking flies.

The disease is endemic in 51 countries and thrives in isolated rural communities where people live with limited access to water, sanitation, and healthcare. Data from Ethiopia’s 2005- 2006 National Survey on Blindness, Low Vision, and Trachoma indicates that Ethiopia is the most trachoma-endemic country in the world, carrying around 30% of the trachoma burden in Africa.

To address the trachoma burden, the World Health Organisation Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma by the year 2020 (GET 2020 Alliance) advocates for the adoption of a comprehensive treatment and prevention strategy called the SAFE strategy. The SAFE strategy includes four components: surgery to reverse in-turned eyelashes, antibiotic treatment, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement (SAFE).

Facial cleanliness and improved sanitation are the prevention-focused components of the SAFE strategy which aim to minimise the spread of infection to others. These components require access to safe water sources and sanitation.

All four components of the SAFE strategy are essential to preventing, treating, and eliminating trachoma. One element alone will not suffice.

Over the past few years, Orbis has increased its efforts to strengthen the facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE strategy, recognising their key role in achieving and sustaining elimination. 

The challenge of eliminating blinding trachoma in Ethiopia by the year 2020 is daunting, but Orbis, along with their partners, show how country leadership can support the integrated approach needed to strengthen trachoma elimination efforts.

Orbis is working with the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia to make sure the right people and partners are engaged in order to provide education surrounding facial cleanliness and, more difficulty, improvements in access to water and good sanitation. 

Thank you for supporting Orbis!