WORLD NEWS
Timor-Leste eliminates trachoma as a public health problem, completing the WHO South-East Asia Region
The World Health Organization (WHO) verified on September 3 that Timor-Leste had eliminated trachoma, an infectious disease that can cause blindness, as a public health problem. Timor-Leste was the last country in the WHO Southeast Asia region with potentially endemic disease, so this confirmation means the entire WHO region now meets the public-health target.
This does not mean that trachoma has disappeared from the face of the earth or that there will be no new cases in East Timor in the future. Surveillance and eyelid surgery services will continue to be needed as the level of prevalence has fallen below established standards, meaning the health system is in place to identify and treat new patients.
On what basis was it verified?
WHO verification combines several years of survey and health system data. From 2015 to 2017, no trachoma was detected in Atauru Island’s children’s survey, ophthalmology clinic patient screening, and door-to-door targeted survey. In 2025, researchers analyzed 4,949 samples from children aged 1 to 5 years in all 13 provinces and found no evidence of transmission at levels that would require trachoma-specific public health interventions.
How does solving a public health problem differ from eradication?
Eradication refers to the state in which transmission of a pathogen has disappeared worldwide. This verification means that in one country, the complications of active trachoma and eyelash curling are below WHO standards, and that the country has the ability to diagnose and treat the remaining patients. So individual cases can still occur and other eye diseases remain the same.
Why it’s a milestone for the entire region
Timor-Leste was the last country in the WHO Southeast Asia region where trachoma was a public health problem. India, Myanmar, and Nepal have already been verified, and the remaining member countries were not subject to verification because they had no history of endemic diseases. East Timor became the 33rd verification country in the world.
What it takes to sustain performance
To reduce recurrent infections spread through eye and nose secretions, clean water, sanitation, facial cleanliness, and basic health services must be maintained. Patients whose eyelashes curl inward and scratch the cornea may require surgery. Timor-Leste plans to continue providing this service through the Dili National Eye Center and through provincial clinics.
What to check next
Trachoma surveillance will be integrated into the existing infectious disease and neglected tropical disease surveillance system. Future investigations will need to confirm whether radio signals reappear and whether remote areas can receive treatment and surgery on time. This achievement should not be interpreted as an end to all causes of blindness or an end to investment in hygiene.