The Global Trachoma Mapping Project, launched in 2012, is the largest infectious disease mapping project ever attempted. It aims to identify where trachoma is most prevalent so that treatment can be targeted to reach those most in need.
Since its launch and as of March 2015, the GTMP has examined eyes of 2.1 million people for clinical signs of trachoma. This has happened in 1,469 districts across 22 African countries.
As a mapping exercise and a control method, GAHI congratulates the GTMP on its remarkable progress to date on what is truly a colossal undertaking. Given the nature of our own work, we firmly hope the GTMP's success thus far serves to encourage and guide mapping efforts for other neglected tropical diseases.
Survey teams examine people and capture data on trachoma, water, sanitation, and hygiene variables using a custom-made Android App running on smartphones. Data are automatically submitted to the Trachoma Atlas, a tool hosted by the International Trachoma Initiative and developed jointly by ITI and the GAHI team that tracks the global prevalence of this NTD. The website is updated daily.
To discuss trachoma control and GTMP progress to date, trachoma experts gathered in Hammamet, Tunisia, this week for the 19th meeting of the WHO Alliance for Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 (GET2020). A full report will be available on the WHO website.
The GTMP is funded by the UK Department for International Development with additional support from the United States Agency for International Development.
For more information about GTMP progress, visit the International Trachoma Initiative.
To learn more about data capture and the creation of the Trachoma Atlas, read our blog.