Introduction

Hellen Keller International (HKI) is an international health organization that provides technical assistance and support to the United Republic of Tanzania with special emphasis in prevention of blindness, eye care, school health, training, national onchocerciasis and trachoma control and elimination programs.
Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) is a parastatal organization under the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) responsible for ensuring quality of education at Pre-primary, Primary, Secondary and Teacher training levels. HKI and TIE have started working together in the year 2003 to collaborate on trachoma control and school health programs. The main purpose of the project is to provide education through the trachoma curriculum with the view of controlling the dreadful trachoma eye disease in Tanzania.

Trachoma is the leading dangerous infectious disease which cause of preventable blindness in the world. It is caused by a bacterium prevalent in poor communities with limited access to adequate sanitation and clean water. This painful infection of the eye leads to a build-up of scar tissue, which forces the eyelid to curl inward. With each blink, the eyelashes rake the cornea, a painful condition called trichiasis. Vision is diminished and - if left untreated - results in permanent blindness. The victim of trachoma eventually blinks herself blind. Its mission is to save the sight and lives of the most endemic trachoma areas.

HKI and TIE intends to roll-out the trachoma curriculum in 15 of the most trachoma endemic districts in Tanzania under Hilton Curriculum Project, hereinafter to as the project. HKI and TIE cooperate in implementing the project. Since trachoma is spread through a cycle of infection and re-infection, often from mother to child and back again, its long-term elimination as a public health threat is dependent on preventive measures.

HKI implements the World Health Organization's S.A.F.E. ( S urgery - A ntibiotics - F ace cleanliness - E nvironment improvements) strategy through innovative community-based programs, such as enhanced school health, community education, and the training of health workers to perform trichiasis surgery. Yet, the simple surgical procedure to correct trichiasis has a success rate of 80%, and can cost as little as $10 per person. For those in the early stages of trachoma, a course of tetracycline ointment or an oral dose of the medication Zithromax will stop the infection.

Goal

The overall goal of the project is to contribute to Tanzania 's efforts to eliminate trachoma as blinding diseases by the year 2020.

Objective

i) To design an effective curriculum to increase knowledge on trachoma and improve health behaviours among school children in Tanzania
ii) To integrate trachoma into the national school curriculum to have a sustainable impact
iii) To strengthen the link between schools and communities for trachoma prevention through a competence-based curriculum.

Project Progress

Since the programs started there are several activities which have been conducted. These activities include:

1. Preparation of school trachoma curriculum
2. Development of instructional materials (Students text books on trachoma for standard one to seven and two Teachers guides covered standard one to four and standard five to seven)
3. Training of teachers  at Manyoni District  
4. Monitoring of implementation of trachoma curriculum in Manyoni district
5. Training of District level teams in 42 districts
6. Development of primary school curriculum on health and nutrition.
7. Development of teacher and students guides for the nutritional modules for primary schools.
8. Teachers training on Nutritional Modules held at CCT Dodoma
9. Training of district Facilitators on the implementation of trachoma for the selected 15 district.
10. Editing of trachoma booklets (Students’ text books and teachers guides for trachoma)
11. Training primary school teachers in trachoma 15 Districts
12. Development of supervision guide for ward educational coordinators and the inclusion of trachoma into the pre-service teacher training curriculum Kibaha.
13. Editing of trachoma guides
14. Tutors training on inclusion of trachoma into Pre-service Certificate teacher training curriculum.

The Way Forward

Based on the above mentioned activities conducted by HKI and TIE, the following activities have been suggested in order to fulfill the goals of the project:

1. Review of trachoma training materials (students’ text books, teachers guide and poster/charts) by improving pictures and content.
2. Training of primary school science teachers at ward level in the remaining 27 districts on the integration of trachoma in primary school science syllabus.
3. Monitory of the implementation of Health and Nutritional  modules in Dodoma rural district (20 trained primary schools)
4. Monitoring of the implementation of trachoma curriculum and the effectiveness of the supervision guide for ward educational coordinators in 15 districts.
5. Monitoring of inclusion of trachoma curriculum in certificate teacher education program.