WHO Aims To Eliminate Blindness From Trachoma By 2020
In 2005 CBM Distributed More Than 530,000 Tubes of Tetracycline
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- Eye nurse putting Tetracycline ointment into the eyes of a Massai woman, who is suffering from trachoma. © CBM
The World Health Organization (WHO) aims at eliminating blindness caused by the infection with Chlamydia trachomatis by the year 2020.
And obviously, major progress has been made towards achieving this goal: According to estimates, 84 million people worldwide suffer from trachoma, of whom about 8 million are visually impaired. In 1985, about 360 million people were affected.
And obviously, major progress has been made towards achieving this goal: According to estimates, 84 million people worldwide suffer from trachoma, of whom about 8 million are visually impaired. In 1985, about 360 million people were affected.
Decrease of Trachoma Figures: WHO Initiative Works
Health experts see one of the main reasons for the decrease is the work of the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma (GET 2020), an initiative aiming at eliminating blindness caused by trachoma by the year 2020.
Prof Allen Foster, president of Christian Blind Mission: "Seventy-five percent of global blindness is avoidable. GET 2020 contributes to the aim of Vision 2020 to eliminate avoidable blindness and to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor."
The GET 2020 initiative institutes activities through primary health care approaches that follow the "SAFE" strategy. This consists of lid surgery (S), antibiotics to treat the community pool of infection (A), facial cleanliness (F); and improvement in water and sanitation (environmental changes) (E).
Prof Allen Foster, president of Christian Blind Mission: "Seventy-five percent of global blindness is avoidable. GET 2020 contributes to the aim of Vision 2020 to eliminate avoidable blindness and to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor."
The GET 2020 initiative institutes activities through primary health care approaches that follow the "SAFE" strategy. This consists of lid surgery (S), antibiotics to treat the community pool of infection (A), facial cleanliness (F); and improvement in water and sanitation (environmental changes) (E).
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- Vision 2020 graph - showing the approximate development of global blindness - with and without the impact of Vision 2020. By the year 2020 no person should go blind, whose blindness would have been preventable or treatable.
Trachoma Responsible for 3 Percent of the World's Blindness
Chlamydia trachomatis is a microorganism transmitted by eye-seeking flies through contact with eye discharge. Trachoma is hyperendemic in the poorest and most remote poor rural areas of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Australia and the Middle East. It is responsible for about 3 % of the world’s blindness.
Twelve Trachoma Control Programmes
CBM addresses the cause of blindness from trachoma within 12 trachoma control programmes, and, in addition, more than 800 programmes address people with visual impairments.
Further information: Services for People with Visual Impairments
Further information: Services for People with Visual Impairments
