A case for South-South collaboration for trachoma elimintion

Abstract

The East Africa NTD/Trachoma Cross-Border Partnership brings together represent- atives from the same ‘neighbourhood’ – Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda – to share experiences of common interest in the delivery of trachoma and other neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes. These countries understand that they will never reach their individual elimination targets without working together: they are all home to nomadic populations of pastoralists who live on both sides of an international border and are bound more closely by relations, socio-cultural activities and trade than by borders.There are also common programmatic challenges because of shared histories, ethnicities, and languages, an understanding and appreciation of which are critical to provide effective public health services.