title: The added value of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions to mass drug administration for reducing the prevalence of trachoma: a systematic review examining.
abstract: Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. The SAFE strategy, the World Health Organization-recommended method to eliminate blinding trachoma, combines developments in water, sanitation, surgery, and antibiotic treatment. Current literature does not focus on the comprehensive effect these components have on one another. The present systematic review analyzes the added benefit of water, sanitation, and hygiene education interventions to preventive mass drug administration of azithromycin for trachoma. Trials were identified from the PubMed database using a series of search terms. Three studies met the complete criteria for inclusion. Though all studies found a significant change in reduction of active trachoma prevalence, the research is still too limited to suggest the impact of the "F" and "E" components on trachoma prevalence and ultimately its effects on blindness.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30302-3995, USA. anyess.travers@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anyess
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Travers
authors.forename: Sheryl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stauber
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000502:physiology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D015995:Prevalence; D012499:Sanitation / Q000592:standards*; D014141:Trachoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin