The global population requiring public health interventions against trachoma has fallen below 100 million for the first time since records began, marking a major milestone in the fight against the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. From an estimated 1.5 billion people at risk in 2002, the number declined to 97.1 million by November 2025, representing a remarkable 94 percent reduction. Even as recently as 2011, more than 300 million people still required interventions.
This achievement reflects decades of sustained work by national health ministries, local communities, and international partners implementing the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy. The approach combines surgery for trachomatous trichiasis, antibiotics to clear infection, and facial cleanliness and environmental improvements to reduce transmission and maintain gains. WHO leaders have emphasized…
