This campaign has now closed
Trachoma is a scarring disease of the upper eyelid. It is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Although antibiotics are available, the disease usually returns. This research aims to significantly advance the limited understanding of how and why the disease progresses.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Trachoma is a major health problem in over 50 countries and 40 million people have active trachoma, with 8.2 million in need of surgical treatment. The eyes get inflamed and scar and the upper eyelids turn inwards and the eyelashes rub on the cornea, causing pain and eventually blindness.
Solution
This project will provide much needed information on the mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease. This will enable the identification of new targets for theraputic intervention against the disease process. This is important because it is the repeated infections which cause vision damage and blindness.