#17 | WHO: Global Population Requiring Trachoma Interventions Falls Below 100 Million

In this episode of the GMJ Podcast — the official podcast of the Georgian Medical Journal, we examine a major milestone in global eye health reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).For the first time since global monitoring began, the number of people requiring interventions against trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, has fallen below 100 million. According to WHO data, the population needing interventions declined to 97.1 million in 2025, compared with 1.5 billion people estimated to be at risk in 2002. This represents a remarkable 94% reduction over the past two decades. Trachoma is a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Repeated infections can cause scarring of the eyelid and eventually lead to irreversible blindness if left untreated.The progress achieved globally reflects decades of coordinated efforts by national health systems, international partners and community health programmes implementing the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy:• Surgery to treat trachomatous trichiasis• Antibiotics to eliminate infection• Facial cleanliness to reduce transmission• Environmental improvements such as better water and sanitationThis coordinated strategy has significantly reduced transmission across many endemic regions and helped numerous countries eliminate trachoma as a public health problem. The episode explores several key public health themes:• Trachoma as the leading infectious cause of blindness• The global success of the SAFE elimination strategy• Partnerships between governments, NGOs and international organizations• The importance of sanitation, hygiene and community health interventions• The global goal of eliminating trachoma as a public health problem by 2030Although major progress has been achieved, nearly 100 million people still require interventions, meaning continued investment and global cooperation will be essential to eliminate the disease completely.Original WHO source discussed in this episode:https://www.who.int/news/item/06-01-2026-global-population-requiring-interventions-against-trachoma-falls-below-100-million-for-the-first-timeThe GMJ Podcast accompanies peer-reviewed publications and global health policy discussions published in the Georgian Medical Journal.Journal website:https://gmj.ge/index.php/pub/index#გიორგიფხაკაძე #drpkhakadze #sheniekimi