Blindness No More: This Disease Eradicated Here

Trachoma, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that can cause blindness, has just been eliminated in the Pacific island country of Vanuatu.

“This is a proud moment for Vanuatu,” says Minister of Health Bruno Leingkone. “This combined effort has already saved hundreds of people from lifelong blindness and will have continued impacts on the vision and overall health of people across Vanuatu long into the future.”

The disease is considered to be a public health threat in 43 countries worldwide and is responsible for causing irreversible blindness or visual impairment in roughly 1.9 million people. Vanuatu is being applauded for its rigorous and methodological work, which reached even the most marginalized and hard-to-reach populations in the country. The national effort was launched in 2014 after an epidemiological study concluded that 12 percent of children aged 1-9 in Vanuatu had active trachoma. “Vanuatu’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is an important reminder that elimination of many NTDs is not only an important goal, it is absolutely achievable,” adds WHO Representative to the South Pacific Dr. Mark Jacobs. Vanuatu is the 14th country worldwide to have eliminated trachoma as a public health concern.