Benin and Mali have been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. The announcement means that six countries in the WHO Africa Region and 17 countries globally have achieved the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. 

Progress to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem accelerated in both countries in recent years following increased government led action through their respective national trachoma programs.

Benin has been supported by various partners in their fight against trachoma.  Sightsavers, through the Accelerate programme funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, The ELMA Foundation, and Virgin Unite has supported the ministry to conduct nearly 700 surgeries to treat trachomatous trichiasis (TT), the training of 13 surgeons, and through its own funds, hygiene promotion activities to improve facial cleanliness reaching more than 1.2 million households. 

Since 2012, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported the Government of Benin to finish baseline mapping, deliver more than 1.9 million antibiotic treatments donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), and conduct trachoma impact surveys and trachoma surveillance surveys. This support was provided first through the ENVISION project, led by RTI International and subsequently though Act to End NTDs | West, led by FHI360.

“The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Benin exemplifies the incredible partnerships operating within the trachoma community, built on trust, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to supporting health ministries,” said Michaela Kelly, Vice Chair, International Coalition for Trachoma Control. “ICTC congratulates the Ministry of Health Benin on its achievement in eliminating trachoma as a public health problem”.

In Mali, the national trachoma program through the National Eye Health Program (PNSO), formerly the National Blindness Prevention Program (PNLC) has been implementing the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem since 1998. The establishment of the national trachoma program followed a national disease prevalence survey conducted from March 1996 to June 1997 which found the prevalence of active trachoma – also known as follicular trachoma (TF) – to range from 23.1% to 46.7% and the prevalence of trichiasis to be up to 2.5% in endemic districts.

Since then, the Ministry of Health has overcome significant barriers within a complex operating environment to lead efforts to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, with support from multiple members and observers of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control.

The Ministry of Health has worked in partnership with Helen Keller International, Sightsavers, and The Carter Center to distribute more than 29 million doses of Pfizer-donated antibiotics through ITI, conduct nearly 90,000 surgeries to manage TT, and train more than 200 health workers to conduct surgery. The program has also broadcast more than 500,000 radio messages promoting hand and facial cleanliness and built more than 140,000 latrines. 

The Ministry of Health also received financial support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development to implement the SAFE strategy, with support from The Carter Center and RTI International.  

“The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mali provides another inspiring example of what can be achieved through sustained implementation of the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy”, said PJ Hooper, Chair of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control. “Mali’s resolute commitment to delivering trachoma interventions, often in difficult operating environments, provides important lessons that will help other countries across the region to achieve the global road map target of eliminating trachoma as a public health problem by 2030”.

Globally, significant progress has been made, including a 92% reduction in the number of people at risk, from 1.5 billion in 2002 to 125 million in 2022. To date, trachoma has been eliminated as a public health problem in Benin, Cambodia, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vanuatu. 41 countries are still known to require interventions for trachoma, which is targeted for global elimination as a public health problem by 2030. 

The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Benin was supportedby multiple ICTC members over the history of Benin’s trachoma program including American Leprosy Mission, AMREF, CBM International, FHI 360, HANDS, Helen Keller International, International Trachoma Initiative, Light for the World, Orbis, Operation Eyesight Universal, Sightsavers, and The Fred Hollows Foundation. 

The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mali has been supported by several ICTC members over the history of Mali’s trachoma program including CBM International, Eyes of the World, Helen Keller International, International Trachoma Initiative, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Light for The World, Organisation pour la Prévention de la Cécité; RTI International, Sightsavers, and The Carter Center.