New project to collaboratively assess the drivers of recrudescent and persistent trachoma
15 Jun 2023
While 17 countries have now achieved trachoma elimination status, there is still work to be done, with trachoma responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people worldwide. Collaborators are being invited to join a new research project aimed at assessing the drivers for persistent and recrudescent trachoma.
i
Photo credit Binyam Teshome, World Bank
Organised in partnership between the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department for the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases and IDDO, researchers will undertake an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis to identify the factors associated with the persistent and recrudescent trachoma and explore the effectiveness of antibiotic mass drug administration (MDA) in Ethiopia and Niger.
IDDO is inviting collaborators from the global trachoma research community to join this research project and contribute data. The project will also serve as a pilot to assess the feasibility of developing a global data platform to collate and standardise IPD to generate additional evidence to answer further key research questions supporting trachoma elimination.
In support of this initiative, Dr Prabin Dahal was invited by the WHO to represent IDDO at the Trachoma Scientific Informal Workshop and Global Elimination of Trachoma (GET) 2020 Alliance meeting in April 2023 in Istanbul. He presented the project scope of work, as well as an introduction to IDDO, its past work, and outlined the potential to contribute to research with the trachoma community. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to meet with new colleagues, including clinical investigators and country representatives, and develop the network of collaborators for the planned IPD meta-analysis.
To get involved, please contact the IDDO team at trachoma@iddo.org