GENEVA, Switzerland – July 15, 2025 -/African Media Company(AMA)/- The World Well being Group (WHO) has validated Senegal as having eradicated trachoma as a public well being drawback. Senegal turns into the ninth nation in WHO’s African Area to have achieved this feat.
“I commend Senegal for releasing its inhabitants from this illness”, stated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-Normal. “This milestone is one more signal of the exceptional progress being made towards uncared for tropical illnesses globally, and presents hope to different international locations nonetheless working to eradicate trachoma.”
Trachoma has been recognized in Senegal because the early 1900s and was confirmed as a significant reason for blindness by means of surveys within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties. Senegal joined the WHO Alliance for the International Elimination of Trachoma in 1998, carried out its first nationwide survey in 2000, and accomplished full illness mapping by 2017 with assist from the International Trachoma Mapping Venture and Tropical Information. Trachoma management was constantly built-in into nationwide eye well being programmed, first below the Nationwide Program for Blindness Prevention (PNLC) and later by means of the Nationwide Program for the Promotion of Eye Well being (PNPSO) – sustaining its dedication to trachoma elimination.
“As we speak we have a good time our victory towards trachoma, 21 years after the one towards dracunculiasis” stated Dr Ibrahima Sy, Senegal’s Minister of Well being and Social Motion. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching purpose stays a Senegal free from uncared for tropical illnesses. We’re totally dedicated to this, and we’re making good progress, notably towards human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping illness) and onchocerciasis”.
Senegal carried out the WHO-recommended SAFE technique to eradicate trachoma with the assist of companions, reaching 2.8 million individuals who wanted them throughout 24 districts. These actions included provision of surgical procedure to deal with the late blinding stage of the illness, conducting antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin donated by Pfizer by means of the Worldwide Trachoma Initiative, finishing up public consciousness campaigns to advertise facial cleanliness, and enchancment in entry to water provide and sanitation.
Trachoma is the second uncared for tropical illness to be eradicated in Senegal. In 2004, the nation was licensed freed from dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm illness) transmission. Globally, Senegal joins 24 different international locations which have been validated by WHO for having eradicated trachoma as a public well being drawback. These are Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao Individuals’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. These international locations are a part of a wider of group of 57 international locations which have eradicated a number of uncared for tropical illnesses.
WHO is supporting Senegal’s well being authorities to intently monitor communities wherein trachoma was beforehand endemic to make sure there isn’t any resurgence of the illness.
“Trachoma has forged a shadow over communities in Senegal for greater than a century. This long-awaited validation will not be solely a milestone for public well being however a robust tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline well being staff, communities, authorities leaders, and companions who by no means gave up,” stated Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Consultant in Senegal. “As we speak, we shut a chapter that started over 100 years in the past, united with pleasure, gratitude and resolve. WHO stays dedicated to supporting Senegal because the nation continues to steer in sustaining this hard-earned achievement.”
Illness prevalence
Trachoma stays a public well being drawback in 32 international locations, with an estimated 103 million folks residing in areas requiring interventions towards the illness. Trachoma is discovered primarily within the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Center East. WHO’s African Area is disproportionately affected by trachoma, with 93 million folks residing in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the worldwide trachoma burden.
Important progress has been made within the combat towards trachoma over the previous few years and the variety of folks requiring antibiotic remedy for trachoma within the African Area fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% discount.
There are at the moment 20 international locations (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in WHO’s African Area which might be recognized to require intervention for trachoma elimination. An additional 3 international locations within the Area (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia) declare to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.
Editor’s word
Trachoma is a uncared for tropical illness. It’s attributable to an infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, which spreads from individual to individual by means of contaminated surfaces , fomites and flies which have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nostril of an contaminated particular person.
Environmental threat components for trachoma transmission embrace poor hygiene, overcrowded households, and insufficient entry to water and sanitation.
To eradicate trachoma as a public well being drawback, WHO recommends the SAFE technique: a complete strategy to cut back transmission of the causative organism, clear present infections and take care of their results. The SAFE technique consists of surgical procedure to deal with the blinding complication (trachomatous trichiasis); antibiotics to clear the an infection, significantly mass drug administration of the antibiotic azithromycin (which has been donated by the producer, Pfizer, to elimination programmes by means of the Worldwide Trachoma Initiative); facial cleanliness; and environmental enchancment, significantly enhancing entry to water and sanitation.
The street map for uncared for tropical illnesses 2021–2030 targets the prevention, management, elimination and eradication of 20 illnesses and illness teams by 2030. Progress towards trachoma and different uncared for tropical illnesses alleviates the human and financial burden that they impose on the world’s most deprived communities.
Distributed byAfrican Media Company (AMA) on behalf of WHO.
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