…After decades of tireless work, Senegal joins an elite group of nations to eliminate the leading infectious cause of blindness.
By Bunmi Yekini
For more than a century, a silent epidemic crept through the sunbaked villages and crowded households of Senegal, an invisible enemy that slowly stole sight from generations of rural families. Trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, embedded itself deep in the fabric of life for the country’s poorest, where access to clean water, sanitation, and basic health care was limited or nonexistent. It thrived in the dust, in the flies, in the margins where poverty lingered.
Today, that chapter has come to a close.
After decades of focused national effort, driven by health workers, community leaders, and a government that refused to look away, Senegal has finally eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated this monumental achievement, making Senegal the ninth country in the WHO African Region and the 25th globally to achieve this milestone.
“I commend Senegal for freeing its population from this disease,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “This milestone is yet another sign of the remarkable progress being made against neglected tropical diseases globally, and offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.”
Trachoma, a bacterial eye infection that can cause irreversible blindness if left untreated, has stalked communities in Senegal since the early 1900s. A 1980s survey confirmed it as a major cause of blindness in the country, particularly in rural and impoverished areas.
But over two decades of focused national effort have now paid off.
“Today we celebrate our victory against trachoma, 21 years after the one against dracunculiasis,” said Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action, Dr Ibrahima Sy. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching goal remains a Senegal free from neglected tropical diseases.”
A Health Legacy Born of Commitment
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Senegal has steadily built one of West Africa’s most resilient public health systems. That legacy has now culminated in the elimination of two neglected tropical diseases: Guinea-worm disease in 2004 and now trachoma in 2024.
Senegal’s success story began in earnest in 1998 when the country joined the WHO’s Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma. It conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full mapping by 2017, supported by the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data.
The government then rolled out the full WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvements), targeting over 2.8 million people across 24 districts. Mass antibiotic distribution campaigns, using azithromycin donated by Pfizer, were coupled with intensive hygiene education, surgery for advanced cases, and improved access to water and sanitation infrastructure.
This integrated approach was spearheaded by the National Program for the Promotion of Eye Health (PNPSO), building on earlier work by the National Program for Blindness Prevention (PNLC).
A Model for the Continent
“Trachoma has cast a shadow over communities in Senegal for more than a century,” said Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Senegal. “This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up.”
The achievement comes amid a broader fight across Africa, where the WHO Region still carries 90% of the global trachoma burden. As of April 2024, an estimated 93 million people in Africa still live in trachoma-endemic areas, down from 189 million in 2014, representing a 51% reduction in just a decade.
Twenty countries in the region, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Chad, still require interventions. However, progress is accelerating thanks to consistent application of the SAFE strategy and growing political commitment.
More Than Just a Health Win
The elimination of trachoma in Senegal is not just a victory for the Ministry of Health, it’s a win for education, women’s empowerment, and poverty reduction. Trachoma disproportionately affects women and children in rural areas, impairing their ability to work, attend school, or care for families.
Environmental conditions, such as poor sanitation, lack of clean water, and overcrowding, are key contributors to its spread. Senegal’s achievement thus underscores how disease elimination is inseparable from broader development goals.
As WHO continues to support Senegal in post-elimination surveillance to prevent resurgence, the country remains focused on wiping out other neglected tropical diseases, including onchocerciasis (river blindness) and human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness).
A Symbol of Hope
From the colonial-era medical records of trachoma in the early 20th century to a modern national health program rooted in science and solidarity, Senegal’s journey reflects what is possible with coordinated action, global partnerships, and local leadership.
As Dr Tedros aptly put it:
“Senegal’s success offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.”