title: Baseline Trachoma Mapping in Malawi with the Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of trachoma in all suspected endemic districts in Malawi.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based survey conducted in 16 evaluation units from 12 suspected endemic districts in Malawi (population 6,390,517), using the standardized Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) protocol. A 2-stage cluster-random sampling design selected 30 households from each of 30 clusters per evaluation unit; all residents aged 1 year and older in selected households were examined for evidence of follicular trachoma (TF), intense trachomatous inflammation (TI), and trachomatous trichiasis (TT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the 16 evaluation units were found to be endemic for trachoma, with a prevalence range of 10.0-13.5% for TF and 0.2-0.6% for TT. Nine evaluation units had a TF prevalence between 5.0% and 9.9% while three evaluation units had a TF prevalence <5.0%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence rates of active trachoma in Malawi were not uniform among suspected endemic evaluation units, with rates higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold for implementation of community-based control measures (TF ≥ 10.0%) in only 4 of the 16 evaluation units. Trachoma remains a disease of public health importance in some parts of Malawi and adjoining (unmapped) districts should be prioritized for mapping. According to the survey, an additional 3,169,362 people require intervention to reduce active disease and 1557 trichiasis surgeries are needed to reduce the prevalence of TT below WHO recommended thresholds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Malawi, College of Medicine , Blantyre , Malawi .
authors.forename: Khumbo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalua
authors.forename: Menard
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Phiri
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kumwenda
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masika
authors.forename: Alexandre L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pavluck
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Caleb
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mpyet
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lewallen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courtright
authors.forename: Anthony W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D058457:Trichiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blindness; Malawi; epidemiology; mapping; neglected tropical diseases; prevalence; trachoma; trichiasis