The global population requiring interventions against trachoma has fallen below 100 million for the first time since records began. As of November 2025, the number stands at 97.1 million, a dramatic decrease from 1.5 billion at risk in 2002. This milestone marks a 94% reduction, highlighting significant progress in combating the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.
The decline in cases is attributed to decades of consistent efforts by national health ministries, local communities, and international partners. These stakeholders have implemented the World Health Organization’s (WHO) SAFE strategy, which includes surgery for trachomatous trichiasis, antibiotics to clear infection, and initiatives focused on facial cleanliness and environmental improvement.
Dr. Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at WHO, emphasized the importance of country leadership in this achievement. “The reduction to below 100 million is testament to strong country leadership and consistent implementation of the SAFE strategy,” he stated. He also noted that progress across all trachoma-endemic WHO regions demonstrates the strategy’s effectiveness and adaptability. WHO is committed to providing technical assistance to help countries reach the goal of eliminating trachoma as a public health problem by 2030.
Recently, Egypt and Fiji were validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health issue, bringing the total number of validated countries to 27. This includes at least one country from each trachoma-endemic WHO region. The collaborative effort of numerous stakeholders has been vital in this progress. Non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and donors have worked together through the International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC). Notably, Pfizer Inc. has donated over 1.1 billion doses of azithromycin through the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), enabling health ministries to distribute essential medicines efficiently.
Michaela Kelly, Chair of ICTC, remarked on the critical role of data and partnerships in achieving these results. “A 94% decrease in people at risk since 2002 is a remarkable achievement,” she noted. However, she cautioned that nearly 100 million people still remain at risk. Approximately USD 300 million is needed to bridge funding gaps for surgery, antibiotics, surveys, and priority research to meet the 2030 elimination target.
Major initiatives like the Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) and Tropical Data have been instrumental in tracking the decline in prevalence. The GTMP, conducted between 2012 and 2016, was the largest infectious disease survey series ever undertaken, collecting data from 2.6 million individuals across 29 countries. This data allowed health ministries to make informed decisions regarding interventions. The ongoing Tropical Data project has supported over 4,000 surveys across 55 countries, examining more than 13.1 million people.
“Behind every milestone are millions of individual stories of people whose sight has been protected,” said PJ Hooper, Director of ITI. He attributed the progress to the collaborative efforts of health ministries, local communities, and partners working together to implement the SAFE strategy.
Efforts to eliminate trachoma align with Sustainable Development Goal 3.3, which aims to end the epidemic of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030. The validated countries include Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.
The commitment to sustaining this progress is crucial, as nearly 100 million individuals remain at risk of trachoma. Continued collaboration and funding will be essential to achieve the goal of global elimination by 2030.
