WHO validates Burundi's elimination of trachoma as a public health problem

In July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially validated that Burundi has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This achievement makes Burundi the eighth country in the WHO African Region and one of about 25 countries worldwide to reach this milestone for trachoma, which is the leading infectious cause of blindness globally. Trachoma is a contagious bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, spread through direct contact, flies, and poor sanitation. Repeated infections can lead to eyelid scarring, turning in of eyelashes, and irreversible blindness if untreated. To achieve elimination as a public health problem, countries must reduce the prevalence of active infection among children to less than 5% and of advanced disease in adults to below 0.2%, sustained without mass treatments, alongside robust systems to detect and manage future cases. Trachoma is a contagious bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, spread through direct contact, flies, and poor sanitation. Repeated infections can lead to eyelid scarring, turning in of eyelashes, and irreversible blindness if untreated. To achieve elimination as a public health problem, countries must reduce the prevalence of active infection among children to less than 5% and of advanced disease in adults to below 0.2%, sustained without mass treatments, alongside robust systems to detect and manage future cases. The WHO validation not only celebrates a public health victory for Burundi but also highlights progress toward broader global goals to eliminate NTDs and reduce preventable blindness in vulnerable communities.