At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison RecordStandardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
Sanitation, Water, and Instruction in Face-washing for Trachoma I/II
In Brief
A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention, Standard of care WASH intervention, and 3 other interventions for Trachoma. Completed, enrolled 47,605 participants across 1 site.
Signals
Detailed Summary
SWIFT I is a series of 3 cluster-randomized trials designed to assess several alternative strategies for trachoma control in communities that have been treated with many years of mass azithromycin distributions. The first trial (named WUHA) compares communities that receive a comprehensive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) package to those that receive no intervention. The second trial (named TAITU-A) compares communities randomized to targeted antibiotic treatment versus those randomized to mass antibiotics for trachoma, and the third trial (TAITU-B) compares communities randomized to targeted antibiotics versus those randomized to delayed antibiotics. SWIFT II is a continuation of the first trial (WUHA I). WUHA I is an ongoing cluster-randomized trial in rural Ethiopia designed to determine the effectiveness of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for trachoma. 40 communities were randomized in a 1:1 ratio either to a comprehensive WASH package or to no intervention. The primary outcome is ocular chlamydia, monitored annually for 3 years. In WUHA II we will treat all 40 WUHA communities with a single mass azithromycin distribution after the month 36 visit, and then continue the WASH intervention only in the 20 communities originally randomized to the WASH arm. We perform annual monitoring visits at months 48, 60, 72, and 84 for the primary outcome of ocular chlamydia among 0-5 year old children. A second aim of WUHA II is to perform a diagnostic test accuracy study of the tests already being conducted as well as several novel tests for trachoma surveillance. The novel tests include inexpensive, point-of-care nucleic acid amplification tests performed on conjunctival swabs, a lateral flow assay for chlamydia seropositivity tested on dried blood spots, and an automated algorithm to detect clinical signs of trachoma from conjunctival photographs. The primary objective of the second aim is to test the sensitivity and specificity of each of these trachoma surveillance tests. By comparing the combined azithromycin-WASH communities to communities receiving mass azithromycin alone, we investigate the benefit of combining the "A", "F", and "E" components of the SAFE strategy as opposed to focusing on antibiotics alone. This is an important question given the expense of WASH interventions and the limited resources of trachoma programs.
Study Details
Timeline
Arms & Interventions
WUHA I, Behavioral: Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention: Communities will receive the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention including community water point construction, hygiene and sanitation education and promotion, community-based hygiene promotion workers, household wash stations, household WASH education books, household soap distribution, and a hygiene curriculum for primary schools. WUHA II, Behavioral and Treatment: WASH intervention communities will continue to receive the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention. A single mass azithromycin distribution will be given in all 40 WUHA I communities (both intervention and control) after the final study visit (i.e., month 36). Children 6 months and up will be offered azithromycin 20mg/kg; those under 6 months will be offered tetracycline.
WUHA I: Standard of care WASH intervention: Communities will continue to receive the standard of care WASH programming offered by the Ethiopian government. WUHA II: Standard of care WASH intervention and treatment: Communities will continue to receive the standard of care WASH programming offered by the Ethiopian government. A single mass azithromycin distribution will be given in all 40 WUHA I communities (both intervention and control) after the final study visit (i.e., month 36). Children 6 months and up will be offered azithromycin 20mg/kg; those under 6 months will be offered tetracycline. These communities will receive a WASH package at the conclusion of the SWIFT II study, including water point construction, hygiene and sanitation promotion, and educational materials.
Targeted antibiotic treatment: Communities will receive targeted antibiotic treatments for children testing positive for ocular chlamydia at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after baseline testing. After testing for ocular chlamydia at 12 months, any children testing positive at this time point will receive antibiotic treatments at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months. Children 6 months and up will be offered azithromycin 20mg/kg; those under 6 months will be offered tetracycline.
Delayed mass antibiotic treatment: Communities will receive no mass azithromycin treatment during the study period. Communities in this treatment group have previously received at least 8 rounds of mass azithromycin treatment. These clusters will be enrolled in an antibiotics treatment program (azithromycin or tetracycline) after the completion of the study.
Mass antibiotic treatment: Communities will receive mass azithromycin treatment of all individuals aged 6 months and up (20mg/kg for children; 1 g for adults); those younger than 6 months, pregnant, or allergic to macrolide antibiotics will be offered a 2-week course of tetracycline.
Interventions
WASH arm: Communities will receive the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention including water point construction and maintenance, hygiene and sanitation education and promotion, community-based hygiene promotion workers, household wash stations, household WASH education books, household soap distribution, and a hygiene curriculum for primary schools.
Stand of care WASH arm
20mg/kg
Tetracycline will be administered in lieu of azithromycin if individual is under 6 months, has a known azithromycin allergy, or is severely ill.
The control group will receive no intervention during the trial. They will be enrolled in mass antibiotic treatment at the conclusion of the trial.