02431nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042100001200076700001200088700001200100700001700112700001200129700001500141700001400156700001300170700001400183700001200197700001500209700001100224700001600235700001400251700002000265700001300285700001600298700001600314700001800330700001500348700001300363245010800376856011000484520145000594022002502044       2025                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)1 aMwale C1 aMboni C1 aSaasa N1 aSikasunge CS1 aChelu C1 aChisenga T1 aSundano L1 aKunda NS1 aMoonga PM1 aLombe K1 aNaluonde T1 aBoyd S1 aBakhtiari A1 aJimenez C1 aHarding-Esch EM1 aDejene M1 aMasaninga F1 aBakyaita NN1 aKwendakwema D1 aSolomon AW1 aMuma KIM00aAssessing trachoma elimination progress in districts with persistent trachoma, Western Province, Zambia  uhttps://academic.oup.com/inthealth/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/inthealth/ihaf041/63013245/ihaf041.pdf3 a<p>Background Trachoma is a public health problem in Zambia. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation—follicular (TF) in 1–9-y-olds and of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) in ≥15-y-olds after the implementation of trachoma elimination interventions to determine if the trachoma elimination thresholds had been achieved: &amp;lt;5% for TF in 1–9-y-olds and &amp;lt;0.2% TT for ≥15-y-olds.</p>

<p>Methods Two rounds of impact prevalence surveys in two evaluation units (EUs) comprising four districts of Western Province were conducted; the first in 2018, the second in 2023. All individuals aged ≥1 year from 30 households of 24 clusters in each EU were examined for trachoma. Data were captured electronically.</p>

<p>Results In 2018, TF prevalence in 1–9-y-olds was 13.9% in Kalabo/Sikongo and 17.9% in Shang'ombo/Sioma. Following further interventions, TF prevalence among 1–9-y-olds in 2023 was 7.7% and 12.5%, respectively. TT prevalences in ≥15-y-olds were 0.10% and 0.79% in 2018, and 0.4% and 0.2% in 2023, respectively.</p>

<p>Conclusions These EUs did not attain trachoma elimination thresholds as a public health problem. They fulfilled the WHO definition for persistent trachoma. Therefore, they warrant further investigation, including collection of Chlamydia trachomatis infection data, to inform future programmatic decision-making. Further TT surgical services are also needed.</p>
  a1876-3413, 1876-3405