Senegal reaches historic milestone by eliminating trachoma

Senegal is celebrating the World Health Organization’s announcement that the country has eliminated the eye disease trachoma as a public health problem.

Sightsavers began supporting the Senegalese government to eliminate trachoma in 2012, and now millions of people will be protected from the pain, suffering and blindness caused by the disease. When elimination efforts started, more than nine million people in Senegal were at risk of blindness from trachoma.

For the past 13 years, Sightsavers has worked alongside the country’s ministry of health to deliver more than 4.2 million doses of antibiotics and provide 30,000 operations for patients with advanced trachoma.

Sightsavers has also helped to train 45 trachoma surgeons across Senegal, which will bring long-term expertise to the country’s health system. These activities supported by Sightsavers and other organisations will enable children to get an education, and adults to earn a living and care for their families.

Cheikh Ibrahima Seck, Sightsavers’ Senegal country director, said: “Congratulations to Senegal on eliminating the painful, blinding disease trachoma. At a time when recent progress in global health is in jeopardy, we must celebrate this monumental achievement. Look what we can do when ministries of health, NGOs, donors and countless community health workers join forces! This announcement is both a celebration and a commitment to remain vigilant in our work to eliminate trachoma everywhere.”

Senegal is the seventh country that Sightsavers has supported to eliminate trachoma. Through its programmes, more than 100 million people are no longer at risk of losing their health, education and livelihoods to trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases. Sightsavers remains committed to achieving the World Health Organization’s target for 100 countries to eliminate at least one neglected tropical disease by 2030.

Further support towards Senegal’s trachoma elimination came from USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (West) programme, managed by FHI 360, and USAID’s Envision programme, managed by RTI International, as well as Pfizer and the International Trachoma Initiative.