Addis Ababa. 29 April 2014 – The 18th meeting of the WHO Alliance for Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020, GET2020, opened on 28 April 2014 at the United Nations Conference Center in Addis Ababa, in the presence of Dr Kesetebirhan Admasu, Honorable Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Dr Pierre M’pele-Kilabou, WHO Representative in Ethiopia, and Dr Dirk Engels, Director of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases at WHO Headquarters. The 18th GET2020 meeting brought together Alliance members comprising WHO, national governments, nongovernmental organizations, research institutions, foundations, and the pharmaceutical industry.  

One of the major causes of preventable blindness, trachoma is an infectious disease endemic in 55 countries and responsible for the visual impairment of about 2.2 million people, of whom 1.2 million are irreversibly blind. Trachoma affects the poorest living in the most remote rural areas.  

Launched under WHO’s leadership in 1997, the Alliance is a partnership formed to support country implementation of the WHO-developed SAFE Strategy – employing Surgery for in-turned eye lashes (medically known as trichiasis), Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement. These interventions are community-targeted and seek community involvement through the primary health care approach. Since the launch of GET2020, major progress has been made in trachoma control, with a number of countries having already attained national elimination of the disease as a public health problem. 

In his opening address, Dr Kesetebirhan Admasu confirmed the Government’s and his personal commitment to trachoma elimination, and said, “Ethiopia will be trachoma free in the next five to ten years, as the country is on the right track to control, eliminate and eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases, including trachoma,” further adding that the conducive health policy and the community-centered health extension program will be instrumental in this. 

Dr Pierre M’pele-Kilebou acknowledged the strides Ethiopia has made towards trachoma elimination, and affirmed WHO’s commitment to work with the Government to meet the 2020 target.

Dr Engels stressed that “WHO is committed to helping national governments ensure the full implementation of SAFE,” noting that, “trachoma has an opportunity to be a trendsetter for other neglected tropical diseases.”  

There are more than 200 representatives of countries affected by trachoma as well as global, regional and national partners in trachoma control, attending this week’s meeting, representing the largest ever gathering of the Alliance.

____________________________________________________________

Contact

Loza Mesfin
Communications Officer, WHO Ethiopia
Email:  tesfayel [at] who.int
Tel: (251) 91 114 4194