Health worker Bello Buliara (holding the pole) measures a patient to determine the correct dose, while volunteer Aliyu Abdullahim (crouched) pours out the treatment. Antibiotics, which are donated free by Pfizer, cost about 35p per person per year to distribute.
13-year-old Abdu’s eyes have been horribly itchy for about five years now. He has advanced trachoma – trichiasis – as years of repeated infection cause the eyelids to turn inwards so lashes scrape against the eye. Thanks to a screening programme, he’s been given ointment to clear up the infection
Maniru’s eyes are almost closed because of severe trachoma infection. ‘I feel like there’s something in my eyes all the time,’ he says. He has to turn his head to one side to see things. Left untreated, his trachoma would almost certainly cause blindness. Eyelid surgery costing about £8 corrects the advanced stage of the disease, relieving years of suffering in only 20 minutes
Ibrahim and Shafaila are volunteers who visit houses to take a census and distribute antibiotics. Ibrahim says: ‘We are doing it for our community. No matter how hard it is, we will do it. It is important to protect the eyesight of the community.’ Shafaila adds: ‘Everyone takes the medicine. We had training at the medical centre in the village, it took two days and after that I felt the confidence to do it. The people that we help pray for us – they say, “God bless you” and I appreciate the prayers’
Women are more vulnerable to trachoma and the project puts a big focus on reaching them. Traditional birth attendants like Kulu Ibrahim are trained to distribute antibiotics. Ibrahim says: ‘They trust me, especially the women; whatever I say, people believe. It’s got to the extent that even with other cases, when they have problems they come to me before going to the hospital, so I guide them to the hospital’