Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30806540›Full record

SynthesisOphthalmic epidemiology2018

A search for trachoma in Timor-Leste: no evidence to justify undertaking population-based prevalence surveys.

Marcelino Correia, David Brunner, Manoj Sharma, Valerio Andrade, Julia Magno, Andreas Müller, Bernardete M Pereira, Gabriele Thumann, Nitin Verma, Mathieu Bangert and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Ophthalmic epidemiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.

Marcelino Correiaa National Eye Center , Guido Valadares National Hospital , Dili , Timor-Leste.
David Brunnerb Oxford Eye Hospital , Oxford University Hospitals , Oxford , UK.
Manoj Sharmaa National Eye Center , Guido Valadares National Hospital , Dili , Timor-Leste.
Valerio Andradea National Eye Center , Guido Valadares National Hospital , Dili , Timor-Leste.
Julia Magnoe Lumbini Eye Institute , Siddharthanagar , Nepal.
Andreas Müllerf Centre for Eye Research Australia , University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia.
Bernardete M Pereirae Lumbini Eye Institute , Siddharthanagar , Nepal.
Gabriele Thumanng Ophthalmology Department , Hôpital Universitaire de Genève , Geneva , Switzerland.
Nitin Vermab Oxford Eye Hospital , Oxford University Hospitals , Oxford , UK.
Mathieu Bangertj Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases , World Health Organization , Geneva , Switzerland.
Andréas J Kreisb Oxford Eye Hospital , Oxford University Hospitals , Oxford , UK.
Anthony W Solomonj Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases , World Health Organization , Geneva , Switzerland.
Hôpital Beau-Séjour · CHLumbini Eye Institute · NPOxford University Hospitals NHS Trust · GBWorld Health Organization · CHUniversidade da Paz · TLUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe sought evidence to justify undertaking population-based trachoma surveys in Timor-Leste, believing that in the absence of such evidence, the country could be categorized as not needing interventions to eliminate trachoma.

methodsWe undertook a systematic review of published literature on trachoma in Timor-Leste, with results updated to 28 April 2018. We also undertook a series of clinic- and field-based screening exercises, consisting of: (1) in October 2015, conjunctival examination of all children attending a school in Vila, Atauro Island; (2) from 1 November 2016 to 30 April 2017, examination for trichiasis, by specifically-trained frontline eye workers, of all individuals presenting to the ophthalmic clinics of six referral hospitals and five district eye clinics; and (3) house-to-house case searches in a total of 110 households, drawn from three communities that were reported by investigators from the 2016 Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) to include residents with trachoma.

resultsThree RAABs (2005, 2009-2010, 2016) and two relevant published papers were identified. The 2016 RAAB reported one female subject to have been diagnosed with trachomatous corneal opacity. Re-examination of that individual revealed that she had ankyloblepharon, without evidence of trichiasis or entropion. No children on Atauro Island, no clinic attendees, and no individuals examined in the targeted house-to-house searches had any sign of trachoma.

conclusionTrachoma is very unlikely to be a public health problem in Timor-Leste. It would not be appropriate to incur the costs of conducting formal population-based trachoma prevalence surveys here.

Indexed as

AdolescentChildFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceTimor-LesteTrachomaTrichiasisTimor-LesteTrachomatrichiasis

Identifiers

PMID30806540
PMCPMC6858277
OpenAlexW2907124164

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.