The Effect of Health Education and Antibiotic Use on the Prevalence of Trachoma in School Children in Borno State of Northern Nigeria.

Abstract

Trachoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of preventable blindness/It is endemic in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Australia and parts of Southeast Asia? T rachoma is caused by the recurrent, chronic injection ofthe eye with Chlamydia trachomatis and progresses from inflammation to conjunctiva scarring, lid deformities, corneal abrasion and visual impairment. Meth0ds.'This was a sch0ol- based cross- sectional descriptive study among primary school pupils in Bama Local GovernmentArea ofBorno state. Simple random sampling technique by balloting was used to select the subjects for the study. A total ofthree hundred subjects were studied. Results:T he prevalence of active trachoma in the schools were 32(20.9%) at Bama central Primary school, 36(23.4%) at Soyeprimary school. Theprevalence ofactive trachoma in the malepopulation was I 9(52.8%). In both schools, the prevalence ofactive trachoma was highest amongst the 5-9 years age group,_ followed by the I 0-1 4 years age group. Conclusion:Health education and antibiotic use reduced the prevalence oftrachoma in school children in Borno State.