In a momentous development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Benin and Mali for successfully eliminating trachoma as a public health concern, positioning them as the fifth and sixth nations within the African Region to attain this noteworthy feat. The WHO had previously endorsed Ghana (June 2018), the Gambia (April 2021), Togo (May 2022), and Malawi (September 2022) for their achievements in trachoma eradication.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, conveyed his congratulations to the health authorities of Benin and Mali, along with their extensive network of global and local partners, for accomplishing these remarkable milestones. He stated, “Following the success of Benin and Mali, trachoma continues to persist in 23 countries within the WHO’s African Region, bringing us one step closer to reaching the trachoma elimination target outlined in the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030.”
On a global scale, Benin and Mali now join the ranks of 15 other countries that have been validated by the WHO for successfully eradicating trachoma as a public health concern. These countries include Cambodia, China, the Gambia, Ghana, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and Vanuatu.
Both Benin and Mali adopted the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy, with the assistance of the WHO and its collaborators, to eliminate trachoma. The SAFE strategy encompasses surgical procedures to address advanced complications of trachoma, administration of antibiotics to clear infections, maintaining facial cleanliness, and implementing environmental improvements, particularly with regards to enhancing access to clean water and sanitation, to diminish transmission. Through the efforts of the International Trachoma Initiative, Pfizer generously donates the antibiotic azithromycin to elimination programs that implement the SAFE strategy.
In Benin, trachoma elimination interventions have been integrated with those aimed at combating other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) under the auspices of the National Programme for Communicable Diseases. Trachoma becomes the third NTD to be eradicated in Benin, following the successful elimination of dracunculiasis in 2009 and gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in 2021.
Despite confronting security challenges in the northern regions of the country and recent sociopolitical upheavals, Mali conducted extensive surveys on the impact of trachoma and implemented interventions to achieve elimination targets. Trachoma is the first NTD to be eradicated in Mali, thus making it a member of the global group of 47 countries that have successfully eliminated at least one NTD.
Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of the WHO Global NTD Programme, lauded these extraordinary accomplishments in public health. He commented, “Benin and Mali exemplify how unwavering political determination, comprehensive cross-sector integration, robust surveillance, and active community engagement can synergistically culminate in disease elimination.”
In recent years, substantial progress has been made in combating trachoma. Within the WHO African Region, the number of individuals requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma has declined by an impressive 84 million, from 189 million in 2014 to 105 million as of June 2022.
Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
