International Coalition for Trachoma Control

The number of people requiring interventions against trachoma, the world's leading infectious cause of blindness, has fallen over the last year from 103 million in April 2025 to 92 million in March 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported in its Weekly Epidemiological Record.

The latest trachoma progress update presents data submitted by health ministries to WHO on implementation of the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement) in trachoma-endemic countries during 2025.

The update highlights several major milestones, including six countries being validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem since the previous report in July 2025. They are Fiji (October 2025), Egypt (November 2025), Libya (February 2026), Algeria (April 2026), Australia (May 2026), Tunisia (May 2026), and El Salvador (July 2026), bringing the total number of countries validated to date to 32.

Additionally, the update shows that the number of people managed for trachomatous trichiasis (TT) in a year  increased in 2025, reaching 98,829 people, a 13% increase on the 87,349 cases managed in 2024. Approximately 80% of TT surgeries were performed in Ethiopia, which has the world's largest burden of trachoma, affecting 66 million people.

Of the 37 countries that reported TT surgery data in 2025, 34 provided gender-disaggregated data, representing 99.6% of all TT surgeries worldwide. Among those treated, 69% were women.

The availability of gender-disaggregated data is important because women are 1.8 times more likely than men to require TT management, and evidence suggests they often face greater barriers to accessing surgery and other interventions. 

The update also shows that 49.4 million antibiotic doses were distributed to 47.4 million people in support of trachoma elimination. This represents an increase from 44.4 million people treated in 2024 and 32.9 million in 2023. Most antibiotics were donated by Pfizer Inc., through the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), with approximately 82% of treatments delivered in Ethiopia.

Gender-disaggregated antibiotic treatment data were available from 19 of the 21 countries that conducted mass drug administration, representing 99% of people treated worldwide. Among those receiving antibiotics, 52% were women.

"The progress shown with the latest trachoma data reinforces that the global elimination of trachoma is within reach”, said Michaela Kelly, Chair, International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC). “The steadfast commitment of national programmes and international partners has accelerated progress towards the 2030 target, with 14 countries validated as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem in the last two years alone.

"ICTC congratulates all partners involved, including the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and has provided outstanding global leadership and coordination for trachoma elimination. ICTC remains committed to supporting collaboration, sharing knowledge and addressing the remaining challenges so that every endemic country achieves elimination."

Data are consistent with a sustained decline in the global burden of trachoma. In 2002, an estimated 1.5 billion people were at risk of the disease (representing a 94% reduction to the number of people at risk today) and 7.6 million people required TT surgery (an 84% reduction). Following completion of the Global Trachoma Mapping Project in 2016, those estimates fell to 190.2 million people at risk and 2.8 million people requiring TT surgery. In March 2026, as reported today, those totals have fallen further to 92 million and 1.2 million, respectively.

Trachoma is targeted for global elimination as a public health problem by 2030 under Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3 and in the neglected tropical disease roadmap 2021–2030, published by WHO and endorsed by WHO Member States at the 79th World Health Assembly. 

As of March 2026, trachoma was known to be a public health problem in at least part of 29 countries. A further 12 countries may require interventions, but the necessary investigations in suspected trachoma-endemic areas have not yet been completed. 

Countries validated as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are: Algeria, Australia, Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.