Optimizing Trichiasis Case Finding to Attain the Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem.

BACKGROUND

As national trachoma programmes increase efforts to reduce the burden of trachomatous trichiasis (TT), TT case finding and referral are critical public health programme components. Our research aimed to explore the most effective and efficient approaches to finding, referring, and managing TT cases.

METHODS

This was a prospective descriptive study, utilizing both routine programme data and primary data collection. This study compared four different approaches to finding TT cases across three different local government areas (LGAs) in Kano State, Nigeria. Each of the study LGAs was divided into four sub-units to accommodate the four different approaches.

RESULTS

The number of outreach attendees was 4795 across the four case finding approaches, and this varied hugely, with the smallest number and proportion (403, 0.26%) in settings only employing house-to-house case finding and the largest number and proportion (1901, 0.99%) when town criers were used. That said, the proportion of TT cases among people presenting at outreach was highest (32.5%) when house-to-house case finding was used and lowest (10.3%) when town criers were used. More female TT patients were found (53-70%) and had surgery (79-85%) compared to male cases, across all approaches. The average project expenditure for finding one TT case was similar for approaches that included house-to-house case finding (USD 5.4-6.3), while it was 3.5 times higher (USD 21.5 per TT case found) when town criers were used.

DISCUSSION

This study found that the house-to-house TT case finding approaches were the most efficient method with the highest yield of TT cases. Including other eye condition and/or vision testing yielded similar results but required more personnel and cost.