Le trachome évolutif : résultats d’une enquête de prévalence dans huit préfectures sanitaires en RCA

Abstract

Support of visual disabilities in terms of preventive and curative treatment, is a priority for public health in Central African Republic. The lack of recent and reliable data on ocular pathologies in general including trachoma particularly, has led health authorities, in collaboration with partners to undertake an epidemiological investigation to determine the mapping. This study was designed to assess the importance of endemicity in the most sensitive groups within population, including children of 1 to 9 years old. Eight from sixteen health districts in the country, were selected for this survey as a first step. The data collected will assess the real needs in medical and surgical care to develop an appropriate strategic plan of support for this condition on a large scale. This is a cross-sectional descriptive survey carried out in one month, from November 23 to December 26, 2011 in eight health prefectures of the country. The sampling frame was the population of eight health districts. The exhaustive list of villages and demographic data from the national census conducted in December 2003, adjusted by the rate of annual increase of 2.5%has been used. The administrative headquarters of the places of the visited districts leaders were excluded from the sampling frame. A random survey in clusters at two levels made from formed bases. Twenty villages (clusters) in each health district have been drawn according to the proportional probability to the size of the totals cumulative. 12,800 children of both sexes, aged 1 to 9 years have been identified in this investigation and 11,287 were actually examined, or 88.2 %, sex ratio is significantly 1.11. The proportion by age group of the children sampled is stackable to the general population. 26.9 % of TF and 5.9 % TI have been diagnosed. Six from eight districts surveyed are endemic. Three of them had respectively rates of 32.3 %, 47.1 % and 54.3 %.

Prospecting for yaws in the Mbaïki Health District in the Central African Republic

“…In our series, all age groups were affected by this disease, with however, a predominance in the 55+ (11.54%), 35-44 (9.29%), 25-34 (7.11%) and 45-54 (6.98%) age groups; contrary to the results of some previous studies, which qualify yaws as a disease of childhood and adolescence [ 25 ]. The sex ratio of 1.69 found in our series confirms the findings that yaws affects males more frequently than females.…”

Lessons learned in the implementation of programmes to eliminate trachoma within conflict zones

“…This is what has enabled the medical teams, with measured caution, of course, to carry out mass drug administration campaigns in the communities in the Central African Republic. 3 , 4 Activities requiring a field visit cannot be programmed in times of active fighting. It is necessary to wait for the right moment when people's minds calm down and then undertake them with all the precautions outlined above.…”