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Evaluation of facial cleanliness and environmental improvement activities: Lessons learned from Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda
- Source :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 15, Iss 11, p e0009962 (2021), PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2021.
-
Abstract
- The World Health Organization promotes the SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvements) strategy for trachoma control and prevention. The F&E components of the strategy focus on promotion of healthy hygiene and sanitation behaviors. In order to monitor F&E activities implemented across villages and schools in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, an F&E Monitoring and Evaluation (FEME) framework was developed to track quarterly program outputs and to provide the basis for a pre and post evaluation of the activities. Results showed an increase in knowledge at the school and household levels, and in some cases, an increase in presence of hand/face washing stations. However, this did not always result in a change in trachoma prevention behaviors such as facial cleanliness or keeping compounds free of human feces. The results highlight that the F&E programs were effective in increasing awareness of trachoma prevention but not able to translate that knowledge into changes in behavior during the time between pre and post-surveys. This study also indicates the potential to improve the data collection and survey design and notes that the period of intervention was not long enough to measure significant changes.<br />Author summary Trachoma control programs promote facial cleanliness, use of latrines, and emphasizes the importance of access to water as means to reduce trachoma transmission. To address these areas, various country ministries and supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) support the implementation of tailored behavior change programs. The process and results of evaluating these types of programs in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda are described here. The goal of this manuscript is to provide trachoma program managers and supporting NGOs with insights, recommendations, and data collection tools that could be used to support their efforts to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their current or future trachoma prevention activities.
- Subjects :
- Bacterial Diseases
Malawi
Eye Diseases
Sanitation
RC955-962
Social Sciences
Chlamydia trachomatis
Tanzania
Geographical Locations
Families
Medical Conditions
Promotion (rank)
Sociology
Hygiene
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public and Occupational Health
Uganda
Children
media_common
Schools
biology
Infectious Diseases
Trachoma
Anatomy
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Psychology
Environmental Health
Research Article
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Environmental Monitoring
Hand Disinfection
media_common.quotation_subject
Health Promotion
Education
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
Environmental improvement
Data collection
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Biology and Life Sciences
Monitoring and evaluation
Tropical Diseases
biology.organism_classification
medicine.disease
Health Care
Ophthalmology
Age Groups
Face
People and Places
Africa
Population Groupings
Head
Program Evaluation
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19352735
- Volume :
- 15
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0d29b5507c6ff36322a9f7e4b07446ce