IN THE NEWS

Deputy Governor administers the first dose.

Local World Sight Day celebrations in the Jokadu District of the North Bank Region of The Gambia, held October 11, 2007, were an appropriate setting for the launch of the country’s first-ever mass distribution of the antibiotic treatment Zithromax®, a crucial step in The Gambia’s efforts to eliminate blinding trachoma nationwide.

Under the lights of a national television crew’s cameras, the Deputy Governor of the North Bank Region took a child’s height and then gave the first dose of Zithromax® of the day—a significant moment inaugurating The Gambia’s nationwide distribution.

The Zithromax® treatments were donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative and the mass-distribution was coordinated by The Gambia’s National Eye Care Program (NECP).

The landmark launch occasion was attended by the Office of the Governor of the North Bank Region, the National Assembly Member for Jokadu, the district Chief, villagers and the Regional Health Team.  Some at the gathering wore t-shirts bearing the words “Trachoma Free Gambia,” the theme of the launch.

 

Mission Statement
The International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) is dedicated to the elimination of blinding trachoma, the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. ITI approaches its mission—in countries where the World Health Organization has noted that trachoma remains a significant cause of blindness—through targeted support for the expanded implementation of the SAFE strategy.
The International Trachoma Initiative is a charitable organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(a) of the US Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in section 501(c)(3)
ITI Communications Contact Beth D. Weinstein, Dana Vernon Tel: 212 490-6460   Fax: 212 490-6461 E-mail: communications@trachoma.org
International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) . 441 Lexington Avenue, 11th Floor . New York, NY 10017 . USA