Great success of the strategy promoted by the WHO. There was also a significant drop in the number of people exposed to the risk of contracting this serious eye infection in 2019.
The latest data, released by theWHO (World Health Organisation) at the 22nd GET2020 (Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020) meeting, record a great success: the number of people at risk of trachoma in the world has fallen from 1.5 billion to just 142 million in 2019, a reduction of 91%.
The data also show that the number of infected persons requiring surgery for trachomatous trichiasis, which arises in the advanced stage of trachoma and leads to blindness, decreased from 7.6 million in 2002 to 2.5 million in 2019, i.e. by as much as 68%.
Trachoma unfortunately remains endemic in 44 countries and has already resulted in blindness o low vision in approximately 1.9 million people worldwide. The mapping of this dreaded infectious disease has now been completed and it is therefore possible to identify its distribution and specifically target the treatment and prevention measures envisaged in the strategy SAFEsurgical treatment of trichiasis, administration of antibiotics to eliminate the infection, facial hygiene and improvement of environmental conditions to reduce the risk of transmission.
In 2018 alone, 146,112 cases of trichiasis were treated worldwide and almost 90 million people took antibiotics against trachoma in 782 districts.
Since 2011, WHO has declared eight countries free of trachoma. Importantly, at least one country in each region where the disease has been declared endemic has achieved this milestone, demonstrating the effectiveness of the SAFE strategy in different contexts.
The significant reduction in the global prevalence of trachoma is also the result of increased political will in countries where the disease is endemic, the expansion of control measures, and the collection of high quality data. The global programme was supported by the largest mapping effort in infectious diseases, the Global Trachoma Mapping Project (2012-2016), and since 2016 by Tropical Datawhich supported the Ministries of Health in the implementation of more than 1,500 prevalence surveys standardised according to international parameters and subject to quality assurance and control.
GET2020: the SAFE strategy against ocular trachoma
In 1997, the WHO launched GET2020, and with other partners who have joined this Alliance, supports the implementation in countries of the SAFE strategy, an acronym that includes these actions to intervene against ocular trachoma
– SurgerySurgery to treat trachomatous trichiasis
– Antibiotics: antibiotics to combat ocular trachoma infection
– Facial cleanliness: facial hygiene to reduce ocular transmission of bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis
– Environmental improvement: improving the quality of the environment in particular by increasing access to water and sanitation.
This strategy is complemented by efforts to strengthen national capacity for epidemiological detection, monitoring, surveillance, project evaluation and resource mobilisation.
See also:
– Ocular chlamydia and antibiotic therapy
– Sightsavers brings smiles to the eyes of children in the world's poorest countries
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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