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. 2023 Dec;30(6):544-560.
doi: 10.1080/09286586.2023.2249546. Epub 2023 Dec 12.

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys

Emma M Harding-Esch  1 , Clara R Burgert-Brucker  2 , Cristina Jimenez  3 , Ana Bakhtiari  4 , Rebecca Willis  4 , Michael Dejene Bejiga  5 , Caleb Mpyet  6 , Jeremiah Ngondi  7 , Sarah Boyd  4 , Mariamo Abdala  8 , Amza Abdou  9 , Yilikal Adamu  10 , Addisu Alemayehu  11 , Wondu Alemayehu  12 , Tawfik Al-Khatib  13 , Sue-Chen Apadinuwe  14 , Naomie Awaca  15 , Marcel S Awoussi  16 , Gilbert Baayendag  17 , Mouctar Dieng Badiane  18 , Robin L Bailey  1 , Wilfrid Batcho  19 , Zulficar Bay  20 , Assumpta Bella  21 , Nassirou Beido  9 , Yak Yak Bol  22 , Clarisse Bougouma  23 , Christopher J Brady  24 , Victor Bucumi  25 , Robert Butcher  1 , Risiate Cakacaka  26 , Anaseini Cama  27 , Mamoudou Camara  28 , Eunice Cassama  29 , Shorai Grace Chaora  30 , Amel Chenaoui Chebbi  31 , Alvin Blessings Chisambi  32 , Brian Chu  4 , Abdulai Conteh  33 , Sidi Mohamed Coulibaly  34 , Paul Courtright  35 , Abdi Dalmar  36 , Tran Minh Dat  37 , Thully Davids  38 , Mohamed El Amine Djaker  39 , Maria de Fátima Costa Lopes  40 , Djore Dézoumbé  41 , Sarity Dodson  42 , Philip Downs  43 , Stephanie Eckman  7 , Bilghis Elkhair Elshafie  44 , Mourad Elmezoghi  45 , Ange Aba Elvis  46 , Paul Emerson  4 , Emilienne Ee Epée  47 , Daniel Faktaufon  26 , Mawo Fall  20 , Aréty Fassinou  19 , Fiona Fleming  48 , Rebecca Flueckiger  7 , Koizan Kadjo Gamael  49 , Mackline Garae  50 , Jambi Garap  51 , Katie Gass  52 , Genet Gebru  53 , Michael M Gichangi  54 , Emanuele Giorgi  55 , André Goépogui  28 , Daniela Vaz Ferreira Gómez  40 , Diana Paola Gómez Forero  56 , Emily W Gower  57 , Anna Harte  1 , Rob Henry  58 , Harvy Alberto Honorio-Morales  59 , Dunera R Ilako  60 , Amadou Alfa Bio Issifou  61 , Ellen Jones  3 , George Kabona  62 , Martin Kabore  23 , Boubacar Kadri  9 , Khumbo Kalua  63 , Sarjo Kebba Kanyi  64 , Shambel Kebede  53 , Fikreab Kebede  53 , Jeremy D Keenan  65 , Amir B Kello  66 , Asad Aslam Khan  67 , Houria Khelifi  39 , Janvier Kilangalanga  68 , Sung Hye Kim  69 , Robert Ko  51 , Susan Lewallen  35 , Thomas Lietman  65 , Makoy Samuel Yibi Logora  22 , Yuri A Lopez  70 , Chad MacArthur  71 , Colin Macleod  1 , Felix Makangila  15 , Brehima Mariko  72 , Diana L Martin  73 , Michael Masika  74 , Patrick Massae  75 , Marilia Massangaie  8 , Hadley S Matendechero  54 , Tsedeke Mathewos  53 , Siobhain McCullagh  3 , Aboulaye Meite  49 , Elsa Palma Mendes  76 , Hirpa M Abdi  77 , Hollman Miller  78 , Abdellahi Minnih  79 , Sailesh Kumar Mishra  80 , Tuduetso Molefi  81 , Aryc Mosher  58 , Nerkoua M'Po  19 , Francis Mugume  17 , Robson Mukwiza  82 , Consity Mwale  83 , Stephen Mwatha  54 , Upendo Mwingira  62 , Scott D Nash  84 , Christophe Nassa  23 , Nebiyu Negussu  53 , Cece Nieba  28 , Jean Claude Noah Noah  21 , Christian O Nwosu  85 , Nicholas Olobio  86 , Rapheal Opon  17 , Alexandre Pavluck  43 , Isaac Phiri  82 , Merelesita Rainima-Qaniuci  87 , Kristen K Renneker  4 , Martha Idalí Saboyá-Díaz  88 , Fatoumata Sakho  28 , Salimato Sanha  29 , Virginia Sarah  89 , Boubacar Sarr  18 , Celia L Szwarcwald  90 , Ahmad Shah Salam  91 , Shekhar Sharma  80 , Fikre Seife  53 , Gloria Marina Serrano Chavez  92 , Mactar Sissoko  18 , Henis Mior Sitoe  8 , Oliver Sokana  93 , Fentahun Tadesse  53 , Fasiah Taleo  50 , Sandra Liliana Talero  94 , Youcef Tarfani  95 , Amsayaw Tefera  53 , Rabebe Tekeraoi  96 , Andeberhan Tesfazion  97 , Abubaker Traina  45 , Lamine Traoré  98 , Julián Trujillo-Trujillo  56 , Edridah M Tukahebwa  17 , Praveen Vashist  99 , Ernest B Wanyama  54 , Supriya D P Warusavithana  100 , Titus K Watitu  54 , Sheila West  101 , Ye Win  102 , Geordie Woods  43 , Aya Yajima  69 , Georges Yaya  103 , Alem Zecarias  97 , Solomon Zewengiel  97 , Akoi Zoumanigui  28 , Pamela J Hooper  4 , Tom Millar  3 , Lisa Rotondo  7 , Anthony W Solomon  104
Affiliations

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys

Emma M Harding-Esch et al. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys.

Methods: Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations. Founding principles are health ministry ownership, partnership and collaboration, and quality assurance and quality control at every step of the survey process. Support covers survey planning, survey design, training, electronic data collection and fieldwork, and data management, analysis and dissemination. Methods are adapted to meet local context and needs. Customisations, operational research and integration of other diseases into routine trachoma surveys have also been supported.

Results: Between 29th February 2016 and 24th April 2023, 3373 trachoma surveys across 50 countries have been supported, resulting in 10,818,502 people being examined for trachoma.

Conclusion: This health ministry-led, standardised approach, with support from the start to the end of the survey process, has helped all trachoma elimination stakeholders to know where interventions are needed, where interventions can be stopped, and when elimination as a public health problem has been achieved. Flexibility to meet specific country contexts, adaptation to changes in global guidance and adjustments in response to user feedback have facilitated innovation in evidence-based methodologies, and supported health ministries to strive for global disease control targets.

Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; Tropical Data; prevalence; survey; trachoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests

AB, SB, PE, KR and PJH are (and CB and RW were) employed by the International Trachoma Initiative at The Task Force for Global Health, which receives an operating budget and research funds from Pfizer Inc., the manufacturers of Zithromax® (azithromycin). EMHE receives salary support from the International Trachoma Initiative. No other authors declare any conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Decision-making for baseline, impact and surveillance surveys and SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement) interventions for trachoma elimination,
TF: trachomatous inflammation—follicular; TT: trachomatous trichiasis
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Tropical Data Organisation Chart for supporting trachoma surveys
ITI: International Trachoma Initiative; LSHTM: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; WHO: World Health Organization; WASH: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Tropical Data Quality and Standardisation Process
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Tropical Data Trachoma Training Cascade
Figure 5.
Figure 5.. Roles and responsibilities during the Tropical Data survey process
EUID: Evaluation Unit Identification number; WHO: World Health Organization
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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