“We’re playing a critical role to banish trachoma”

In a typical Tropical Data survey, field teams will go to randomly selected households in predetermined communities to examine the eyes of everyone aged one year or above. The team includes graders who examine people’s eyes for signs of trachoma and recorders who use mobile phones to note down the results.

In a country as vast as Ethiopia, reaching these communities is far from easy. Michael is often required to act as a ‘trouble-shooter’ for teams out in the field. “Field teams have to cross rivers, and sometimes vehicles might break down so that they have to walk long distances on foot. Occasionally they stray into the wrong areas, but their data are linked to GPS coordinates, so we can help them to correct their errors and conduct the surveys in the right place.

“This is just one of the ways that we are making sure countries have high-quality data,” he adds. “I am glad to be part of a team of epidemiologists and data scientists who are working together on this. This feeling of teamwork is one of the things I enjoy most about my job.”

Michael tells us that survey teams may also encounter communities who are wary of having their eyes examined. He and his colleagues try to anticipate any issues and work with local community leaders and religious leaders to explain that the surveys are beneficial. If field teams discover that there is a high prevalence of trachoma, then health workers can take steps to tackle this.