International Coalition for Trachoma Control

International Coalition for Trachoma Control
Name	International Coalition for Trachoma Control
Abbreviation	ICTC
Formation	1999
Type	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	Elimination of trachoma as a public health problem
Headquarters	London
Region served	Global
Leader title	Chair

Contents

International Coalition for Trachoma Control is a global alliance of public health World Health Organization partners, nongovernmental organizations such as Sightsavers, research institutions including the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, national programs like the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, and pharmaceutical donors such as Pfizer. The coalition coordinates efforts across endemic countries including Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, Mali, and Mozambique to implement the SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination alongside initiatives by UNICEF, UNDP, and regional bodies like the African Union. It works with global health funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bilateral agencies like USAID, and multilateral mechanisms including the Global Fund to accelerate validation by World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa and other regional WHO offices.

History

The coalition was formed in the late 1990s following technical recommendations from the World Health Assembly and consultations at meetings with representatives from Brien Holden Vision Institute, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Federal Ministry of Health (Ethiopia), and members of the Global Alliance for the Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 movement. Early partners included The Carter Center, Helen Keller International, Orbis International, and academic collaborators such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and University of Oxford. Strategic alignments were influenced by precedent programs like the Smallpox eradication campaign and lessons from the Onchocerciasis Control Programme. The coalition evolved through events involving the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases and coordination with initiatives from World Bank projects and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control.

The coalition's stated mission aligns with technical guidance from the World Health Organization to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem using evidence from trials at institutions like Imperial College London and programmatic data from ministries such as Ministry of Health (Nigeria). Objectives include scaling up mass drug administration supported by donors including GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis, strengthening surgical services via partnerships with Royal College of Ophthalmologists, promoting water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in collaboration with UNICEF and WaterAid, and advancing surveillance in line with standards published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The coalition supports adoption of policies from Global Burden of Disease Study findings and targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals.

A governance board composed of representatives from organizations such as Sightsavers, The Carter Center, Helen Keller International, Orbis International, Brien Holden Vision Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and national programs from Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, and Kenya oversees strategy. Membership includes international NGOs, academic centers like LSHTM, funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF, pharmaceutical partners like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, and national ministries such as Ministry of Health (Mali). Advisory committees have involved experts from Royal Society, Wellcome Trust, World Bank, African Union Commission, and professional bodies including the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Programs follow the SAFE strategy—surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement—implemented with support from The Carter Center, Sightsavers, Helen Keller International, Orbis International, and national health ministries in countries like Ethiopia and Nigeria. Activities include mass drug administration campaigns coordinated with Pfizer azithromycin donations, trichiasis surgical training conducted with input from Royal College of Ophthalmologists and academic partners such as University of California, San Francisco, monitoring and evaluation using standards from World Health Organization and analytic methods from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Community engagement leverages civil society actors like WaterAid, Oxfam, and Save the Children and integrates with water and sanitation projects funded by World Bank and executed with local authorities like Ministry of Health (Sudan).

The coalition convenes partners including World Health Organization, UNICEF, The Carter Center, Sightsavers, Helen Keller International, Pfizer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, European Union, and national governments such as Government of Ethiopia and Government of Nigeria. Funding streams include philanthropic grants from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in-kind pharmaceutical donations from Pfizer, bilateral aid from USAID, and programmatic support through Global Fund mechanisms and contributions from foundations like Wellcome Trust and Children's Investment Fund Foundation. Research funding is channeled via institutions such as London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Oxford.

Coalition-supported programs have contributed to validated elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in countries following WHO assessment processes, with national verifications involving ministries such as Ministry of Health (Mali), surveillance by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and endorsements from World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Reported outcomes include reductions in active trachoma prevalence in districts across Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Nepal, and Mozambique, increases in trichiasis surgeries recorded by The Carter Center and Sightsavers, and improved access to water and sanitation through collaborations with WaterAid and UNICEF. Data have been incorporated into analyses by the Global Burden of Disease Study and have informed policy at the World Health Assembly.

Persistent challenges include security constraints in conflict-affected settings such as South Sudan and Somalia, logistical barriers in remote areas like Chad and Niger, sustaining pharmaceutical supply chains dependent on partners like Pfizer, and integrating trachoma elimination with broader health systems strengthening recommended by World Bank and World Health Organization. Future directions emphasize operational research with partners including Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins University, leveraging digital health innovations from institutions like University of California, San Francisco and Harvard Medical School, expanding WASH collaborations with WaterAid and UNICEF, and aligning with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals and commitments at the World Health Assembly. Continued coordination with donors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bilateral agencies like USAID, and regional organizations such as the African Union will shape pathways to global elimination.

Category:Neglected tropical diseases organizations