Trachoma remains the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness globally, disproportionately affecting marginalized and impoverished communities. Despite global and national efforts guided by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement), the latter two components remain under-implemented. In Kenya, trachoma remains endemic in 13 of 47 counties, including Baringo. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tiaty East Sub-County, a trachoma Sub-Evaluation Unit in Baringo, to determine the burden of trachoma and assess facial cleanliness and environmental conditions. Using a structured questionnaire and observation checklist, data were collected from 178 randomly selected households. A total of 279 children aged 1–9 years were examined for trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF). The overall TF prevalence was 5.02%, slightly above the WHO elimination threshold of <5%. Facial cleanliness was sub-optimal with 91.8% of children having visibly unclean faces. Latrine coverage was low (21.3%), and 99.1% of those without latrines practiced open defecation. Most households (61.8%) sourced water from a dam, with 80.9% requiring more than 30 minutes to fetch water. Handwashing stations were absent in 94% of households. Multivariable analysis revealed caregiver age and awareness of poor hygiene as a risk factor for trachoma and were also significantly associated with TF. The persistence of TF and poor F&E indicators highlight critical gaps in trachoma control in the Sub-Evaluation Unit. Strengthening implementation of the F&E components of the SAFE strategy is essential to achieving trachoma elimination in this setting.
Njogu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.