**9. Prevention**

The most effective method of controlling perinatal chlamydial infection appears to be screening and treatment of pregnant women. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that "all pregnant women aged <25 years and older women at increased risk for infection should be routinely screened for C. trachomatis at the first prenatal visit and be retested during the third trimester to prevent maternal postnatal complications and chlamydial infection in the neonate" [44]. Healthcare professionals must cooperate closely to identify early the high-risk populations, educate and counsel the patients about sexual health and importance of screening and completing treatment.

According to recommendation of WHO [46], all neonates should be offered immediately after birth topical ocular prophylaxis to both eyes for the prevention of gonococcal and chlamydial ophthalmia neonatorum with one of the following options:


No vaccine is currently available for either trachoma or chlamydial genital infections. However, a first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial was conducted between 2016–2017 to assess safety and immunogenicity of a chlamydial vaccine candidate [50].

As far as trachoma is concerned, a WHO-recommended elimination strategy summarized by the acronym"SAFE", is being implemented in endemic countries [41]. This consists of:

**S**urgery to treat the blinding stage. **A**ntibiotics to clear infection. **F**acial cleanliness and. **E**nvironmental improvement.
