Trachoma prevalence below elimination threshold across all Australian jurisdictions for the first time
Australia, the only high-income country where trachoma has been endemic, has reached a significant health milestone, as per findings from a report by A Jaworski et al. National surveillance data now confirms that the overall trachoma prevalence has fallen below the 5% WHO elimination threshold across every jurisdiction for the first time.
Key Findings:
- From 2014-2022, the number of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities considered at-risk of trachoma declined by 51%. By 2022, overall prevalence had dropped below the elimination threshold in all jurisdictions. This reflects nearly two decades of sustained control efforts under the WHO SAFE strategy.
- Active trachoma cases among children aged 5-9 years declined by 45% over the surveillance period. This reflects the shift from community-wide treatment towards targeted, household-based approaches in most communities requiring intervention.
- Only eight new cases were recorded out of 10,806 people aged 15 years and over, screened for trachomatous trichiasis in 2022 (the blinding end-stage complication of repeated trachoma infections). This prevalence of 0.07% was well within the WHO elimination targets.
- Australia must sustain both trachoma and trichiasis prevalence below these thresholds for two consecutive years before applying for formal WHO validation of elimination.
- Despite national progress, persistent endemic trachoma in parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia signals that elimination cannot rest on treatment coverage alone.
Reference: Jaworski A, Cowling C, Popovic GC, Noorul A, Sandler S, Vaz Nery S, Kaldor J. Australian Trachoma Surveillance Report update: 2014–2022. 2025.
