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A recent study by the University of California, San Fransisco, or UCSF, has shown that treatment for the potentially blinding eye condition trachoma can be adjusted from injections on a bi-yearly based to just once per year. As the leading cause of infection based blindness, this research will allow, in theory, twice the number of patients to be treated from the same volume of medication currently used.
Trachoma is an infectious eye disease which causes the inner surface of the eyelids to harden or roughen. The condition can lead to blindness and is the number one cause for loss of sight around the world. Also know as granular conjunctivitis, the disease affects around 41 million people globally with almost 20% of that number becoming visually impaired as a direct result. As the disease can be spread by contact with the eye, nose and throat, the condition is infectious and can quickly move from person to person, particularly in unsanitary conditions. Although almost eliminated from western civilisation, the disease continues to persist and spread in many parts of the developing world, especially areas without adequate access to fresh, clean water. Once the illness takes hold, the eyelids of the sufferer turn inwards, causing the eyelashes to scratch at the cornea, leading to blindness.
The hope of the UCSF, is that with this breakthrough, more can be done and for more people and sufferers of trachoma. Due to the costs of mass treatment and the reproduction of medicine for the developing world market and those not fortunate enough themselves to arrange treatment on their own, organisations are desperately seeking new ways to make this process more efficient, squeezing every last drop of resources and medicine out so that their work can do as much good as possible. Following a trial study of 24 communities, one half receiving treatment every 6 months, the other every 12, researchers found that this eye condition was treated and contained in the very same way, allowing for organisations to actively begin rolling out new procedures in future.