Enhancing Trachoma control in Tanzania, the role of design thinking in Trachoma persistence contexts
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2026-09-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PAMJ Clinical Medicine
Abstract
Trachoma has been a major public health problem and a leading cause of blindness, currently affecting mostly low-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) and governments in 1996 jointly agreed to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem by 2020. However, by 2020, trachoma remained persistent in several districts despite the implementation of the effective integrated four interventions in Tanzania. The interventions with the acronym surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, environmental improvement (SAFE) to treat trachoma eye scarring, antibiotics for active trachoma, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement failed to achieve the goal. Consequently, this study will use a design thinking approach to identify novel SAFE implementation strategies to address the SAFE complex implementation challenges in two selected villages in the Manyara region in Tanzania. The design thinking approach will start with the empathy phase, followed by defining, ideation, prototyping, and finally the testing phase. Successful innovation will be one that will reveal maximum alignment in its desirability, feasibility, and viability among communities in the villages. Hence it will contribute to the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in the study villages and other areas, contributing to achieving the global goal to eliminate trachoma by 2030 in trachoma-persistent areas.
Description
Keywords
design thinking, Trachoma persistence, Tanzania
Citation
Semali, I., Sariah, A., Kabona, G., Mashalla, Y., Mbekenga, C., Kakok, D., Ntabaye, M., Ndosi, G., Ambakisye, M., Mwijage, A. and Kemi, A., 2026. Enhancing Trachoma control in Tanzania, the role of design thinking in Trachoma persistence contexts. PAMJ Clinical Medicine, 55(27).