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Review
. 2004 Nov;1(2):e44.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0010044. Epub 2004 Nov 30.

Blinding trachoma: a disease of poverty

Pashtoon M Kasi  1 , Ahmed I Gilani, Khabir Ahmad, Naveed Z Janjua
Affiliations
Review

Blinding trachoma: a disease of poverty

Pashtoon M Kasi et al. PLoS Med. 2004 Nov.

Abstract

Trachoma accounts for 15% of blindness worldwide, affecting the world's poorest communities. How can the disease be controlled?

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The Worldwide Distribution of Trachoma
(Map: Silvio Mariotti/WHO)
Figure 2
Figure 2. A Typical Community in Which Trachoma Is Endemic
Some of the factors linked with the continued presence of the disease in affected communities are lack of access to water, overcrowding, lack of facial hygiene, eye-seeking bazaar flies, and open latrines. (Illustration: Aslam Bashir, Aga Khan University)
Figure 3
Figure 3. WHO Simplified Grading System: A Guide for the Assessment of Trachoma
(Photos: from [11], with permission from WHO)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. World Health Organization. Report of the Eighth Meeting of the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004. Mar 29–31,
    1. Frick KD, Hanson CL, Jacobson GA. Global burden of trachoma and economics of the disease. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003;69:1–10. - PubMed
    1. Whitcher JP, Srinivasan M, Upadhyay MP. Corneal blindness: A global perspective. Bull World Health Organ. 2001;79:214–221. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mecaskey JW, Knirsch CA, Kumaresan JA, Cook JA. The possibility of eliminating blinding trachoma. Lancet Infect Dis. 2003;3:728–734. - PubMed

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