British News Agency

Dr. Ghebreyesus stated that Senegal is the ninth country in the WHO African Region to reach this milestone.

He commended the people of Senegal for being free from the disease, saying: "This milestone is another sign of remarkable global progress in tackling neglected tropical diseases and offers hope to other countries working to eliminate trachoma."

Trachoma has been known in Senegal since the early 1900s, and studies in the 1980s and 1990s identified it as one of the leading causes of blindness. In 1998, Senegal joined WHO’s Global Elimination of Trachoma Alliance, conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full disease mapping by 2017 with support from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data.

Trachoma control has been consistently integrated into national eye health programs—first through the National Program for the Prevention of Blindness (PNLC), and later through the National Eye Health Promotion Program (PNPSO)—demonstrating sustained commitment to eliminating the disease.