title: Trachoma in northern Ghana: a need for further studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The northern Ghana Upper East Region [UER], Upper West Region [UWR], and Northern Region (NR) lie within the African trachoma belt. The 3 regions share common features of poverty, dryness, dusty environments, and poor environmental hygiene. Trachoma has been identified previously in the NR and the UWR as a disease of public health importance and a control program is underway.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish baseline prevalence and risk factor parameters in the Upper East for possible control of trachoma in the region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross-sectional survey using multi-staged cluster sampling techniques was used. In all 26,323 participants from 4,374 households in 160 communities were examined with a 2.5x magnifying binocular loupe for trachoma; 7,763 were children aged 1-9 years and 15,191 were aged 15 years and over.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 3 children were identified with active trachoma (trachoma with follicles, TF = 1; trachoma with intense inflammation, TI = 2) giving regional prevalence of 0.01% (Confidence Limits, CL: 0.0-0.1) for TF and 0.03% (CL: 0.0-0.1) for TI. Trachomatous trichiasis was measured at 0.05% (CL: 0.0-0.1) while children with clean faces was measured at 95.5%. Only 3.6% of the examined households in the region had access to a toilet facility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trachoma is not a disease of public health importance in the UER of Ghana despite being in a trachoma endemic zone and sharing the necessary risk factors for the disease.
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Bawku Hospital, Bawku, Ghana. mikegyasi@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Michael Ekuoba
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gyasi
authors.forename: Agana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nsiire
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yayemain
authors.forename: Oscar Afari
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Debrah
authors.forename: Delali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Asamani
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gyapong
authors.forename: Winfried M K
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Amoaku
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult