The WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 (GET2020) was founded in 1998 to address the development and health burden of the disease. This alliance is comprised of representatives of 51 countries with endemic trachoma, academic institutions, donor organizations, and private sector stakeholders. The WHO has released the report, Eliminating Trachoma: Accelerating Towards 2020, which outlines the next steps to eliminate trachoma globally by 2020.
The WHO has been leading international efforts to eradicate trachoma through the SAFE strategy since 1993. With a mandate to provide coordination and technical leadership, WHO recommended an integrated approach of several interventions. In 2014, WHO launched the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 to support country implementation of the SAFE strategy. Today, more than 60 districts do not require dedicated surgical outreach programmes.
The WHO’s mission is to provide coordination and technical leadership to the global efforts to eliminate trachoma. In 1993, the WHO adopted the SAFE strategy, which consists of a combination of interventions and is implemented as an integrated approach. The WHO also launched the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020, which is a partnership that supports countries in implementing the SAFE strategy.
The WHO’s recent report provides data on trachoma prevalence in 2020. The World Health Organization said that trachoma risks have remained stable in most areas, despite disruptions caused by COVID-19 and other epidemics. Additionally, the report offers district-level estimates of district-level prevalence for 2020. The progress update also includes data on the implementation of SAFE strategies in communities, which include surgery, antibiotics, and environmental improvements.
The WHO has partnered with many stakeholders to improve sanitation facilities to combat the scourge of trachoma. The WHO is partnering with pharmaceutical companies to eliminate the disease in 44 countries by 2020. The aim of the ICT is to improve access to antibiotics, surgeries, and environmental improvements to reduce the incidence of the disease. In order to reach this goal, the ICT should be a part of national healthcare systems.
The Accelerate programme has helped 90 districts eliminate the need for dedicated surgical interventions. The programme has been very successful in eradicating trachoma in 44 countries in the last decade. Its success has been attributed to the implementation of the SAFE strategy. The plan includes the use of antibiotics, surgical treatment of trichia, and improved access to water and sanitation. In addition, the acceleration of this strategy has led to a reduction in the number of patients requiring drug treatment.
However, the eradication of trachoma is still far from being a reality in some countries. The prevalence of the disease has been estimated at 0.2% in the world’s most endemic countries. In order to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, it is essential to strengthen national control measures and build evidence-based data on the disease’s prevalence. The WHO is committed to this goal and is working to make it a reality by 2020.
