Trachoma, a transmissible disease causing blindness, has been eliminated in Fiji, according to a press release issued by the World Health Organization on 20 October 2025. The disease, which is caused by the Bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis was first detected in Fiji in the 1930s and had become a major public health concern by the 1950s. Public action taken at that time led to a decline in infections, and by the 1980s it was no longer the most common cause of blindness in Fiji. However, the disease underwent a resurgeance in the 2000s, with a high rate of infection in children, leading the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to launch an eradication campaign in 2012. This began with a period of surveying, to understand the the local epidemiology of the disease and distinguish it from other blindness-inducing conditions, followed by a series of school health, water and sanitation initiatives, and community awareness programmes.
Chlamydia trachomatis is spread through contact with mucus emitted from the eyes and nose during infection, and can be spread by Flies. Infections are most common among children, and the disease can spread rapidly in overcrowded environments, particularly where sanitation is poor and access to clean water is limited. The Bacterium infects the inside of the eyelid, causing a roughening which can in turn lead to damage to the surface of the eye. Eventually the disease can lead to the eyelids turning inwards, blinding the patient. Infections are generally fought off fairly quickly, particularly in adults, but having been infected does not offer protection against future infections, and the damage caused by each infection is cumulative. Chlamydia trachomatis is vulnerable to the antibiotics azithromycin and tetracycline.
Fiji is the 26 country to eliminate Trachoma, with Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Vanuatu and Vietnam having previously done so. It is also the 38th country to have eliminated at least one Neglected Tropical Disease, and the 13th state in the Western Pacific Region to have done so. Trachoma is still considered to be a public health problem in 31 countries, and is hyperendemic in many of the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Approximately 103 million people live in areas where the disease is considered to be endemic. In 2024, 87 349 people worldwide received surgical treatment for advanced Trachoma, and 44.4 million people were treated with antibiotics for Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Trachoma is thought to be responsible for about 1.4% of all cases of blindness worldwide.
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