Haidar Al-Sa’eh announced Libya is officially free of Trachoma. Al-Sa’eh is the Director of the National Center for Disease Control. The World Health Organization confirmed this status. Libya is now the 28th country globally to achieve this. It is also the eighth in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Al-Sa’eh shared this on his personal Facebook page. He highlighted Dr. Hanan Balkhy’s praise. Dr. Balkhy is the WHO Regional Director. She commended Libya’s efforts through the Ministry of Health. She expressed gratitude for Libya’s full elimination of Trachoma.
Al-Sa’eh explained Trachoma. It is also known as granular conjunctivitis. It is an infectious eye disease. Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria cause it. Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness.
The infection spreads in poor and rural areas. This happens due to poor hygiene. It transmits through eye and nasal secretions. Contaminated hands and flies also spread it. Symptoms include redness, itching, and discharge. Untreated cases can lead to blindness. Antibiotics like Azithromycin can treat it.
Al-Sa’eh concluded his post by thanking the medical teams. These teams are from the Ministry of Health. He noted the achievement resulted from a strong partnership with WHO. He hopes for the future elimination of infectious diseases.