FG Intensifies WASH, Surveillance to End Trachoma

The Federal Government says it is strengthening disease surveillance as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions to eliminate the remaining burden of trachoma and achieve the country’s national elimination targets.

The Director of the National Trachoma Programme at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nicholas Olobio, disclosed this at the Accelerate Trachoma Elimination Programme Learning event in Abuja.
Dr. Olobio said Nigeria has recorded remarkable progress in the fight against trachoma, with more than one hundred thousand surgeries already carried out, representing over ninety percent of the country’s surgical target.
He explained that while significant progress has also been made in mass drug administration, a few local government areas continue to experience persistent or recurrent transmission.

Also speaking, the Country Trachoma Coordinator for Sightsavers, Dr. Mshelia Teyil, said insecurity and population displacement remain major obstacles to eliminating trachoma in the remaining endemic areas.

Stakeholders at the event cited the experience of the United Kingdom, where improved sanitation and hygiene contributed to the elimination of trachoma, expressing confidence that Nigeria can achieve similar success through sustained implementation of the SAFE strategy.