WHO validates Timor-Leste’s elimination of trachoma as public health issue
TIMOR-LESTE—The World Health Organisation (WHO) has validated Timor-Leste as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the last country in the WHO South East Asia Region with suspected endemic trachoma to achieve the milestone.
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. With Timor-Leste’s validation, the disease has now been eliminated as a public health problem across the entire WHO South East Asia Region.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Timor-Leste, saying the country had demonstrated how effective planning, field investigations and modern surveillance can protect communities from preventable blindness.
He added that eliminating trachoma from the region represents an important step towards the global goal of eliminating the disease worldwide by 2030.
Evidence supports elimination
WHO’s validation followed a multi-year assessment to establish whether trachoma remained a public health problem and determine whether Timor-Leste could identify and manage any future cases.
Between 2015 and 2017, investigators examined children on Atauro Island, screened patients attending eye clinics across the country and conducted targeted household searches. The investigations found no cases of trachoma.
The country subsequently strengthened the evidence through additional studies.
In 2025, researchers analyzed 4,949 samples from children aged one to five years across all 13 municipalities.
The testing found no evidence of ongoing transmission at levels requiring trachoma-specific public health interventions.
Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer in Charge at the WHO South East Asia Regional Office, said Timor Leste had demonstrated the importance of national leadership, reliable evidence and integrated health services in achieving lasting health improvements.
She also highlighted the value of integrating disease surveillance systems, particularly in countries with limited health resources.
Maintaining surveillance and eye care
Following the validation, Timor Leste will continue identifying and treating individual cases of trichiasis and other eye conditions through its national eye care system.
Specialized services, including surgery for trichiasis, are available at the National Eye Centre at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares in Dili, with outreach services extending to municipalities.
Meanwhile, national programmes continue to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
The country will also integrate trachoma surveillance into existing national disease and neglected tropical disease surveillance platforms.
National commitment drives progress
Dr Élia A. dos Reis Amaral, Minister of Health of Timor-Leste, described the validation as a source of national pride and credited health workers, communities and development partners for sustaining efforts to eliminate the disease.
He said the achievement would strengthen the country’s commitment to universal health coverage and a resilient health system that reaches people across the country.
Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste, said the validation reflected strong leadership, dedicated health workers, community participation, and high-quality surveillance.
The evidence supporting the validation was generated under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Menzies School of Health Research, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney, Lions Clubs International Foundation, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
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