Mali Eliminates Trachoma as Public Health Problem

Mali announced in May that it had become the 17th country to receive the World Health Organization’s validation of the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. The Carter Center has worked in the county alongside Helen Keller International and Sightsavers to support the government of Mali in its fight against the bacterial disease.

The Malian program has overcome significant challenges to reach this accomplishment, including vast terrain, disease prevalence, political instability, and conflict. A 1996 survey found trachoma in nearly every region of the country with nearly 10 million people at risk of going blind. Mali has now become the first country with such significant levels of trachoma at program inception to achieve validation status.

“This success has given us confidence to continue investing in neglected tropical diseases to ensure all families can both access and afford the care they need not only to eliminate specific diseases, but also to achieve improved public health in general,” said Sadi Moussa, the Carter Center’s senior country representative in Mali.

The Carter Center and its partners worked together under funding provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.