02210nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001653001300042653001600055653001500071653001000086653001100096653001100107653001900118653002100137653002100158653001000179653001400189653001000203653001500213100001600228700001500244700001400259700001400273700001300287245005400300300000900354490000700363520150000370022001401870       2006                            d10aTrachoma10aSex Factors10aPrevalence10aKenya10aInfant10aHumans10aHealth Surveys10aEndemic Diseases10aChild, Preschool10aChild10aBlindness10aAdult10aAdolescent1 aKarimurio J1 aGichangi M1 aIlako D R1 aAdala H S1 aKilima P00aPrevalence of trachoma in six districts of Kenya.  a63-80 v833 a<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>To estimate the prevalence of active trachoma (TF) in children aged one to nine years and potentially blinding trachoma (TT) in adults aged 15 years and older in six known trachoma-endemic districts in Kenya.</p>

<p><strong>DESIGN: </strong>Community based survey.</p>

<p><strong>SETTING: </strong>Six known trachoma endemic districts in Kenya (Samburu, Narok, West Pokot, Kajiado Baringo and Meru North).</p>

<p><strong>SUBJECTS: </strong>A total of 6,982 children aged one to nine years and 8,045 adults aged 15 years and older were randomly selected in a two stage random cluster sampling method: Twenty sub-locations (clusters) per district and three villages per sub-location were randomly selected. Eligible children and adults were enumerated and examined for signs of trachoma.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Blinding trachoma was found to be a public health problem in all the surveyed districts. Active trachoma was a district wide public health problem in four districts (Samburu, Narok, West Pokot and Kajiado) and only in some of the sub-locations of the other two (Baringo and Meru North).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>There is need for district trachoma control programmes preferably using the WHO recommended SAFE strategy in all the surveyed districts. Extrapolation of these survey results to the entire country could not be justified. There is need to survey the remaining 12 suspected endemic districts in Kenya.</p>
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