Trachoma: Mexico eliminates infectious disease which is world's leading cause of blindness
Mexico has succeeded in eliminating trachoma, an infectious disease that is the world’s leading cause of blindness, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced.
The disease, which causes the inner surface of the eyelids to become rough, is believed to be responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of 1.9 million people worldwide.
It remains a public health problem among poor, isolated populations in 41 countries following Mexico’s elimination of the disease – a "historic moment for public health in Mexico and the Americas", said the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
Mexico is the first country in the Americas to receive validation of having defeated the disease, which is still endemic in countries including Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia.
Carissa Etienne, PAHO’s director, said this achievement was a result of a "decades-long efforts of Mexican authorities, health workers and communities to improve their health and quality of life, and end this disease of poverty".
Young children are most likely to develop trachoma, caused by an infection that spreads through skin-to-skin contact or from flies that have touched discharge from the eyes or nose.
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The disease was common in Britain in the 19th century, but is now mostly found in hot, dry countries and affects those without access to clean water to wash their faces.
Mexico is the third country to eliminate the disease as a public health problem after Oman became the first beat the disease in 2012. Morocco also received WHO validation of having eliminated trachoma in November.
Britain recently announced it was doubling its funding to fight neglected tropical diseases, which International Development Secretary Priti Patel said “belong to the last century”.
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The money will be used to fight trachoma and other tropical diseases that can cause debilitating pain, disfigurement and death, including parasitic infections such as Guinea worm and elephantiasis.
In 2004, Mexico began to take more aggressive action towards eliminating trachoma, reducing the number of cases from 1,794 that year to zero in 2016, according to data from local health teams.
This was achieved through a drive for better sanitation, use of antibiotics and surgery in severe cases, using the slogan: “With water, soap and cleanliness you can prevent trachoma”.
The WHO criteria for elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is prevalence of less than five per cent in children aged one to nine and less than one case of inverted eyelashes per 1000 people.
Another five countries have said they have reached these elimination targets and are awaiting WHO validation: China, Gambia, Ghana, Iran and Myanmar.
