Senegal eliminates trachoma: A major victory in the global fight against NTDs

RTI International celebrates with Senegal on eliminating the leading cause of infectious blindness 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — An ambitious public health goal is now a reality thanks to the leadership of Senegal and the power of public-private partnerships for global health and development. RTI International, an independent scientific research institute, celebrates with Senegal and its global health partners as the country eliminates trachoma — a preventable disease that has caused suffering and blindness for generations.

After 13 years of collaborative efforts and investment from the governments of Senegal and the United States, alongside other partners, the World Health Organization (WHO) validated Senegal as the 25th country to eliminate trachoma, a significant milestone in the global fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). 

“We are winning the fight against NTDs,” said Tim J. Gabel, president and CEO of RTI International. “The United States played a major role in this achievement through its NTD program, which RTI has been privileged to support. Thanks to U.S. and global investments, Senegal joins 24 other countries that have eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, improving the health and security of the country, region and world.”

Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, results from repeated infections that scar the inner eyelid, causing eyelashes to turn inward and scratch the eye. Without treatment, this leads to irreversible blindness. With support from the U.S. and other partners, Senegal successfully implemented a comprehensive approach to eliminate the disease known as the SAFE strategy, which includes surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvements.

With support from RTI through the U.S. government’s ENVISION program (2012-2019), Senegal distributed donated drugs to reduce the transmission of trachoma in communities and address active infection in individuals. The medicine, azithromycin, has been donated by Pfizer since 1998 and is one example of the powerful public-private partnerships that underpin NTD elimination worldwide.

Additional partners that contributed to Senegal’s success include FHI 360 through the U.S.-funded Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | West program; Sightsavers; the International Trachoma Initiative; and Pfizer.

For nearly 20 years, RTI has partnered with the U.S. government and other global donors to provide training, technical support and resources to help control and eliminate NTDs in more than 65 countries. These partnerships have helped numerous countries eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, including Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Nepal, Senegal, Togo and Vietnam.

Learn more about RTI’s work to help eliminate NTDs