Hydrocele and Trichiasis Surveillance and Surgery in Togo

Stephanie Richard of Health & Development International in the U.S. will run a campaign in Togo to identify and treat individuals with severe chronic morbidities caused by infectious diseases. Although several neglected tropical diseases such as lymphatic filariasis have been well controlled by mass drug administration efforts in Togo, they cause many lasting and severe secondary effects that require expensive treatments such as surgery, and are therefore not widely available. To address this, they will exploit the existing decentralized health structure in Togo by training local health workers to identify severe cases, and provide surgical treatment in those areas with the highest incidence. The health workers will also collect incidence data, which will help to secure additional funding for more treatments.