부산대학교 도서관

Background: Active trachoma is a highly contagious ongoing stage of trachoma that predominantly occurs during childhood in an endemic area. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with active trachoma among school-aged children. Methodology/Principal findings: A community-based analytical cross-sectional study was done from March 1st to June 30th, 2021, in Southwest Ethiopia's people's regional state. A total of 1292 school-aged children were surveyed. The quantitative data were collected using a pre-tested, structured interview-based questionnaire and observation check list. The World health organization (WHO) simplified trachoma grading system was used to assess stages of trachoma. In this study, the prevalence of active trachoma was 570(44.1%), 95% CI (41.4, 46.9). Also, age group 6–10; being female; flies at household (HH), flies on child's face, improved water source, improved sanitation, presence of ocular discharge, presence of nasal discharge, and unclean faces of the child were significantly associated with active trachoma. Conclusions/Significance: The very high prevalence of active trachoma in the study area is significantly associated with; age group 6–10, female gender, presence of flies in household and on child's face, presence of ocular and nasal discharge, unclean faces, improved water source, improved sanitation in the household. Thus, environmental sanitation and facial cleans trachoma elimination strategy should be intensified in the study area. Author summary: Trachoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness, due to repeated bacterial infection of the eye. The early and contagious stage of the disease, known as active trachoma, predominantly affects children. The impact of the disease includes permanent visual impairment, dependency and stigma. The WHO targeted to eliminate trachoma by 2030 as a public health concern in each endemic country. Through the implementation of the SAFE strategy (surgery to treat the blinding stage; antibiotics to clear infection; environmental improvement; improving access to water and sanitation). In Ethiopia majority of the districts are still trachoma endemic. Thus, this study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with active trachoma among school-aged children in Southwest Ethiopian Peoples Regional State. The region is highly endemic for several neglected tropical diseases including trachoma. In this study 44.1% of the participant had active trachoma. Also, age groups 6–10, being female, improved water sources, and sanitation, presence of flies in the house and on the child's face, ocular and nasal discharge, unclean faces were factors associated with the occurrence of active trachoma. Intensive scaling up of the facial cleanness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE strategy helps reduce the high prevalence of active trachoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]