Purpose

To determine the prevalence of trachoma in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kogi State, Nigeria.

Methods

In June 2014, we conducted population-based, cross-sectional surveys according to Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) protocols in selected LGAs of Kogi State. In each LGA, 25 clusters were selected with probability proportional to size. In each of these clusters, 25 households were enrolled for the survey. All residents of selected households aged ≥1 year were examined by GTMP-certified graders for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trichiasis using the simplified trachoma grading scheme. Data on sources of household water and types of sanitation facilities were collected through questioning and direct observation.

Results

The age-adjusted TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds ranged from 0.4% (95% CI 0.1-0.8%) in Bassa to 1.0% (95% CI 0.3-1.9%) in Omala. Across all four LGAs, only one case of trichiasis was found; this individual was in Omala, giving that LGA a trichiasis prevalence in individuals aged ≥15 years of 0.02% (95% CI 0.00-0.07%). Between 77 and 88% of households had access to water for hygiene purposes, while only 10-30% had access to improved sanitation facilities.

Conclusion

Trachoma is not a public health problem in any of the 4 LGAs surveyed. There is, however, the need to increase access to adequate water and sanitation services to contribute to the health and social and economic well-being of these communities.

Purpose

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for trachoma in selected local government areas (LGAs) of Kwara State, Nigeria.

Methodology

Population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in eight LGAs of Kwara State using Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) protocols. In each LGA, 25 villages were selected using probability-proportional-to-size sampling; 25 households were selected from each village using compact segment sampling. All residents of selected households aged ≥1 year were examined by GTMP-certified graders for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trichiasis using the simplified trachoma grading scheme. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) data were also collected.

Results

A total of 28,506 residents were enumerated in 4769 households across the eight LGAs. TF prevalence in children aged 1-9 years ranged from 0.2% (95% CI 0.0-0.3%) to 1.3% (95% CI 0.7-2.1%), while trichiasis prevalence in persons ≥15 years was <0.2% in each LGA. Access to improved water source was the lowest in Edu (62%), while access to improved sanitation facilities was the lowest in Asa (6%) and the highest in Ilorin East (64%). Children aged 1-4 years had 0.63 (95% CI 0.40-0.99) times lower odds of having TF compared to children aged 5-9 years. Children in households with ≥5 resident 1-9-year-old children had 1.63 (95% CI 1.02-2.60) times greater odds of having TF compared to those in households with <5 resident children.

Conclusion

Trachoma is not a public health problem in Kwara State. Provision of adequate water and sanitation services should be a priority here, as a foundation for the health of the population.