The Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced embarked on a mass drug administration exercise to fight and eliminate trachoma, a preventable disease of the eyes caused by infection. Pindula News reported in 2022 that there was a spike in the number of people losing sight because of trachoma in the country. A statement issued by the Health Ministry says the campaign started on the 11th of this month. Reads the statement:
Zimbabwe Launches Mass Drug Administration to Fight and Eliminate Blinding Trachoma among Communities
The Ministry of Health and Child Care working together with SightSavers, World Vision, Basilizwi Trust and WelthungerHilfe has launched a mass treatment / Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign for the treatment of trachoma disease which if left untreated causes blindness.
A ten-day mass treatment campaign will run in the districts of Shamva, Bindura, Rushinga, Binga, Marondera, Nyanga, Mutasa and Gweru beginning on the 11th July of 2022 to the 20th of July 2022.The mass treatment for trachoma prevents children and adults from going needlessly blind. All people aged zero (0) months and above in targeted districts will receive a single dose of medicine once or twice a year over three to seven years to treat, control and eventually eliminate the pain and burden of trachoma in our communities.
The communities in the affected areas have been sensitized and mobilized and are ready to receive the medicine at their nearest health facilities, schools and identified outreach points.
Everyone in the targeted districts is encouraged to participate.
In the 1970s public administration bodies urged parents to teach children to wash their faces, to pay attention to cleaning the eyes of the ‘sleep’ that accumulates. Now the government is into see-how-we-look-after-you drugs so vote for us. Education and community development is too difficult, eh?