Trachoma

• Iraq has now joined the league of 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma.
• The country is also the 50^th to be acknowledged by the WHO for eliminating at least one neglected tropical disease globally.
• The 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma are: Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Ghana, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vanuatu.

About Trachoma

• It is a neglected tropical disease and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.
• It starts off as a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and can be easily treated.
• Over time, it causes the eyelashes to be pushed inward into the eye.
  • So with every blink, they brush against the eyeball.
  • This advanced form of trachoma is called trichiasis.
  • Over time, if it’s not treated, trichiasis can lead to blindness.
• The disease thrives where there are water shortages, poor sanitation and infestations of flies, which are considered physical vectors of the disease.
• To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy–
  • Surgery to treat the blinding stage (trachomatous trichiasis);
  • Antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly the antibiotic azithromycin;
  • Facial cleanliness and
  • Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.