Background: Globally, trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness and Australia is the only developed country with endemic trachoma. It is found in remote Indigenous communities burdened with poverty, overcrowding and poor hygiene. Lack of culturally appropriate health promotion, a small trachoma workforce and lack of awareness and support for trachoma elimination in general, were early barriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAustralia is the only developed country to suffer trachoma and it is only found in remote Indigenous communities. In 2009, trachoma prevalence was 14%, but through screening, treatment and health promotion, rates had fallen to 4% in 2012. More work needs to be done to sustain these declining rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentify trachoma knowledge, attitudes and practice of staff in clinics, schools and community workplace settings to optimise trachoma-elimination health-promotion programs in the Katherine West Health Board region of the Northern Territory. Prior to the introduction of a suite of health promotion resources the Indigenous Eye Health Unit and Katherine West Health Board conducted a baseline survey of open, multi-choice and closed questions regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to trachoma with 72 staff members over a 6-month period in 2010-11. Data were analysed for differences between settings.
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