It took decades, but Australia has wiped out trachoma as a public health concern, a disease that had lingered in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities long after it disappeared from the rest of the country.
Australia is now the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health concern, according to multiple statements.
Trachoma is the leading cause of blindness due to infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through close contact with infected people, contaminated surfaces, and flies that carry eye and nose discharge.
Repeated infections can scar the eyelids, turn eyelashes inward, and cause blindness if it is left untreated.
The disease can be eliminated through antibiotics, facial cleanliness, environmental improvement, and surgery for trichiasis when needed.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities remained at risk for years because the bacteria continued to persist in remote areas, despite disappearing earlier from the rest of the country.
Australia introduced the National Trachoma Management Program in 2006. Over time, sustained screening, treatment, and prevention work, along with improvements in housing, water, sanitation, and hygiene, led to a steady drop in trachoma prevalence in rural Australia.
The country also adapted its response to local conditions, using targeted treatment based on community-level data instead of mass drug administration.
“Elimination of trachoma is a win… for those whose lives have been impacted by a disease that is entirely preventable,” said Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Ageing, Australia.
“This major milestone is thanks to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, community commitment, and sustained investment over many decades.”
“The lessons from this work will inform how we approach other preventable health conditions in remote and regional Australia. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations and local health workers have been central to this success, delivering culturally safe care and community-led solutions.”
Myanmar eliminated trachoma in 2020, becoming the 12th country to do so at the time. Since then, 18 more countries, including Egypt, have reached the same milestone.
Read more from Good News Network.
