Some patient stories become more than medical case histories within a file tucked away in a cabinet somewhere in a clinic or hospital.
Dr Aminata Ba, an ophthalmologist in Mauritania’s remote Brakna region, vividly recalls the day an elderly woman named Fatimetou arrived at her clinic.
She was nearly blind. Untreated trachoma had turned her eyelids inward, scraping her corneas with every blink.
"She had been in pain for years," Dr Ba tells TRT Afrika. "Her vision was almost gone, and she depended on her grandchildren to guide her. Trachoma steals not just sight, but dignity too."
Thanks to a sustained public health campaign, stories like Fatimetou's are becoming a thing of the past in Mauritania.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially acknowledged the country’s success in eliminating trachoma as a "public health problem", marking a significant milestone in the fight against this painful and preventable disease.
Trachoma, a tropical disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, was once the leading cause of preventable blindness in Mauritania. The infection spreads through contact with infected individuals, contaminated surfaces or flies. Repeated infections can lead to irreversible vision loss.
African success story
Mauritania joins six other countries in the WHO African Region that have eliminated trachoma. Ghana achieved that in 2018, Gambia in 2021, Malawi and Togo in 2022, and Mali and Benin in 2023.
At the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva this May, Mauritania's minister of health, Abdallahi Sidi Mohamed Wedih, and the country’s ambassador to Switzerland, Aïcha Vall Vergès, received a certificate that validates how sustained public health efforts can eradicate a public health threat even in resource-limited settings.
"This is another example of the incredible progress we have made against neglected tropical diseases. It also gives hope to many other nations still fighting trachoma," says WHO’s director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Trachoma remains endemic in 37 countries, affecting an estimated 103 million people, with 90% of those cases being in Africa.
However, since 2014, the number of patients across the continent needing antibiotic treatment for trachoma has more than halved from 189 million to 93 million.
WHO’s SAFE strategy
Mauritania's fight against trachoma began in the 1960s, but systematic efforts gained momentum only in the early part of the millennium.
Backed by WHO, the Organisation for the Prevention of Blindness and the Institute of Tropical Ophthalmology of Africa, the country conducted nationwide surveys to map the disease and integrated trachoma control into its National Programme for the Fight against Blindness.
Success hinged on implementing the WHO's "SAFE" strategy – surgery for advanced cases, antibiotics to treat infections, promotion of facial cleanliness, and improvements in water supply and sanitation.
Central to this effort was the mass distribution of the antibiotic medicine Azithromycin through the International Trachoma Initiative. Health workers conducted public awareness campaigns, teaching communities about hygiene and access to clean water.
"Eliminating trachoma is a landmark victory for public health in Mauritania," says Dr Charlotte Faty Ndiaye, WHO's representative in Mauritania. "This success reflects the strong leadership and commitment of the government, supported by the dedication of health workers, communities and partners."
Vigilance as cornerstone
Elimination of trachoma marks Mauritania's second victory against what was once a neglected tropical disease. Guinea-worm disease, another old scourge, was stamped out in 2009. The country now joins 21 others worldwide validated by WHO for eliminating trachoma.
While celebrating, health officials remain cautious. WHO continues to support Mauritania in monitoring previously endemic areas to prevent a resurgence of the disease.
For Dr Ba, the validation is deeply personal.
"We have given people like Fatimetou a chance to see their families again," she tells TRT Afrika. "But we must stay vigilant. Nobody should lose their sight to a disease we now know how to beat."
