Togo becomes fourth African country to eradicate trachoma

• Togo, Ghana, Morocco, and the Gambia have eradicated trachoma, an eye disease that can cause permanent blindness.
• This was achieved through public health awareness and improved access to clean water and sanitation.
• Trachoma infection in Africa fell by 73 million; from 189 million in 2014 to 116 million by June 2021.

Togo has become the fourth African country after Morocco (2016), Ghana (2018), and the Gambia last year to eradicate trachoma, an eye disease that can cause permanent blindness.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) regional director for Africa said children, in particular, could now live without fear of the curable disease's dangerous effects in Togo.

"Togo's achievement is a significant step in the progress towards trachoma elimination. Children across the country and their families can now live without the fear of the severe impacts of this preventable disease thanks to sustained control measures," she said.

It took Togo 33 years to achieve this, after the country included trachoma in its tropical diseases programme.

"The major elimination strategy was screening and treatment of people with late trachoma complications. Community participation was central to the success in Togo, with community health workers trained to identify suspected cases and refer them for examination and treatment," WHO said in a statement.

Road to elimination 

The country held a series of campaigns geared toward teaching the public about personal hygiene and facial cleanliness and also invested in better sanitation and access to clean water, the WHO said.

Acknowledging the eradication of trachoma was a public health science-based decision that took at least a decade.

"Several population-based trachoma surveys were conducted starting from 2006 to 2017. The 2017 survey using WHO-recommended methodology found that the prevalence of key indicators was below the WHO trachoma elimination threshold. There was also evidence that Togo's health system is able to identify and treat new cases of late complications of trachoma," WHO said.

African problem

Togo also became the 12th country in the world to have done so while 43 countries with an estimated 136 million people living in areas endemic to the disease had trachoma as a public health issue, according to WHO.

Africa carried about 85% of the disease's burden.

The WHO said:

However, with Togo, Ghana, Morocco, and the Gambia in the lead, many other African countries had done considerably well in reducing the disease's effects.

"Significant progress has been made over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma infection in the African region fell by 73 million; from 189 million in 2014 to 116 million as of June 2021," the organisation said.

Trachoma remained endemic in 26 countries in Africa.