The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Timor-Leste as having eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem, making it the final country in Southeast Asia to achieve the milestone.
A statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, said that trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, was now eliminated as a public health problem throughout WHO’s South-East Asia Region following Timor-Leste’s validation.
WHO said the achievement followed rigorous investigations demonstrating that trachoma no longer poses a public health problem and that the country can detect and manage future cases.
“A 2025 survey involving 4,949 samples from children aged one to five years across all 13 municipalities found no evidence of transmission requiring trachoma-specific public health intervention.
“Earlier investigations conducted between 2015 and 2017 examined children on Atauro Island, screened eye-clinic patients nationwide and conducted targeted house-to-house searches, with no trachoma detected,” it said.
According to it, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, congratulated Timor-Leste, saying the achievement demonstrates how sound planning, field investigations, surveillance and strong health systems can prevent blindness.
Ghebreyesus said eliminating trachoma from the South-East Asia Region represents a significant step towards achieving the global target of eliminating trachoma worldwide by 2030.
The statement also noted that WHO’s validation process assessed whether trachoma remained a public health problem and examined Timor-Leste’s capacity to detect, investigate and manage cases occurring in the future.
“Timor-Leste subsequently generated additional evidence through studies and surveillance activities, strengthening the scientific basis for WHO’s decision to validate the elimination milestone,” it said.
Also, it said that Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, commended Timor-Leste’s national leadership, evidence-based approach and integration of health services to achieve lasting public health gains.
“The country’s experience demonstrates the value of integrating disease surveillance, particularly where limited resources must deliver maximum health benefits for communities.
“In spite of the elimination as a public health problem, Timor-Leste will continue identifying and managing individual trichiasis cases and other eye diseases through its national eye-care system,” he said.
According to WHO, specialised services, including trichiasis surgery remain available through the National Eye Centre at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares in Dili, alongside outreach services to municipalities.
It said that national programmes addressing water, sanitation and hygiene would continue expanding access, while trachoma surveillance would become integrated into existing disease and neglected tropical disease surveillance platforms.
The statement qouted Timor-Leste’s Health Minister, Dr Élia Amaral, as saying that WHO’s validation was a source of national pride achieved through sustained commitment and collective efforts.
Amaral said the milestone would strengthen the country’s resolve to advance universal health coverage and build an equitable, resilient health system reaching communities nationwide.
WHO Representative to Timor-Leste, Dr Arvind Mathur, said the achievement reflected strong leadership, dedicated health workers, community engagement and robust integrated surveillance and public health action.
Mathur said WHO would continue supporting Timor-Leste to sustain its gains and advance its broader multi-disease elimination agenda.
The statement noted that the evidence supporting the validation was generated by Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health with support from WHO and international eye-health, research and public health partners.
Partners included the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Fred Hollows Foundation, Menzies School of Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney.(NAN)(NAN)
