Algeria Eliminated Trachoma as a Public Health Problem, WHO Validation Confirms
WHO validates Algeria’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in eye health and neglected tropical disease control.
Algeria’s elimination of trachoma has been validated by the World Health Organization, a milestone health officials described as the culmination of decades of coordinated public health work. The achievement confirms that Algeria has met WHO criteria for removing trachoma as a public health problem and places the country among a growing list of nations overcoming this preventable cause of blindness. The validation underscores sustained political commitment, expanded eye-care services and community-level interventions that together reduced infection and trichiasis across formerly endemic areas.
WHO validation and national significance
WHO’s confirmation makes Algeria one of the countries in the African Region to reach this public health target and one of the handful globally to do so for trachoma. The agency’s validation followed submission of a detailed dossier in December 2025 showing that active infection and trachomatous trichiasis had fallen below internationally accepted thresholds. Officials at WHO and the Algerian Ministry of Health highlighted the result as both a national success and an example for other endemic countries.
The World Health Organization noted Algeria’s broader health system strengths—including a functioning school health program, wide access to water and sanitation, and a nationwide network of specialized eye-care services—as evidence the country can sustain elimination. WHO also recommended continued surveillance to guard against any resurgence in areas that historically harbored the disease.
A century of public health effort in Algeria
Efforts to control trachoma in Algeria trace back to the early 20th century with the establishment of public health institutions such as the Pasteur Institute of Algeria in 1909. After independence, Algerian clinicians and health leaders took primary responsibility for national control programs, and in 1974 the government expanded access to free public health services. That long-term investment created the foundation for later, targeted elimination initiatives.
Health officials credit generations of ophthalmologists, primary care workers and community volunteers for maintaining screening, treatment and education programs. Their work included clinical management of trachomatous trichiasis—surgical correction to prevent blindness—as well as mass treatment campaigns and hygiene promotion in the most affected provinces.
SAFE strategy and implementation measures
Algeria’s program implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy—surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics to clear infection, facial cleanliness campaigns and environmental improvements such as water and sanitation. Mass drug administration campaigns targeted communities with persistent active trachoma, while surgical outreach focused on patients with advanced disease to prevent sight loss.
Complementary measures included health education to encourage facial cleanliness and household hygiene, as well as investments in water supply and sanitation infrastructure to reduce transmission. National coordination and a dedicated expert committee established in 2013 accelerated interventions in priority provinces between 2013 and 2015.
Data, surveys and targeted provinces
Comprehensive WHO-aligned surveys carried out in 2022 demonstrated that active trachoma had dropped below the elimination threshold in all surveyed districts. Initially, three districts still required intensified case finding for trachomatous trichiasis, prompting door-to-door screening and treatment to close remaining gaps. The ministry’s dossier presented in December 2025 documented these follow-up efforts and the clearance of residual cases.
The elimination campaign concentrated on 12 southern wilayas where trachoma had been most persistent, including Adrar, Laghouat, Biskra, Béchar, Tamanrasset, Ouargla, El Bayadh, Illizi, Tindouf, El Oued, Naama and Ghardaïa. Targeted interventions in these provinces were central to achieving nationwide validation.
Regional and global implications for neglected tropical diseases
Algeria’s validation is significant beyond national borders: trachoma remains endemic in several countries, affecting millions and threatening eyesight through repeated infections. Globally, trachoma is still responsible for visual impairment or blindness among roughly 1.9 million people, and an estimated 97 million live in areas at risk. Health leaders say Algeria’s result demonstrates that sustained, multisectoral approaches can interrupt transmission and prevent blindness.
The WHO emphasized that eliminating trachoma contributes to broader neglected tropical disease goals set out in the 2021–2030 road map for these conditions. Algeria’s success also adds to the list of countries that have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease, reinforcing the feasibility of tackling other endemic conditions through coordinated public health action.
Next steps: surveillance and sustaining gains
WHO and Algerian authorities agree that validation is not the endpoint but a transition to vigilant post-validation surveillance. Continued monitoring, prompt identification of any new cases and maintenance of surgical and antibiotic services for those in need are the priorities outlined for the coming years. Technical support from WHO will continue as Algeria strengthens routine health information systems to rapidly detect and respond to any recrudescence.
Ministry officials highlighted the role of community health workers, school-based programs and water and sanitation maintenance in sustaining elimination. They also stressed that maintaining access to specialized eye care nationwide will be crucial to address any future cases of trachomatous trichiasis and protect population vision.
Algeria’s WHO validation of trachoma elimination reflects long-term commitment across health sectors and communities, offering a replicable model for countries still battling the disease and reinforcing global efforts to end preventable blindness.
