... is a bacterial eye infection that makes your eyelids turn inwards until your eyelashes scrape against the surface of your eyes. Slowly, agonisingly, you go blind. In desperation, many people pull their eyelashes out. But they always grow back, and thicker than before – which only makes the pain worse.
Globally, about 80 million people have an active infection. In some areas, infections may be present in as many as 60 to 90% of children. Among adults, it affects women more commonly than men – probably due to their closer contact with children. It's common in 53 countries of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.
© Haydn Thompson 2017