Question- Which of the following has become second African state to eliminate Trachoma?
(a) Gambia
(b) Namibia
(c) Chad
(d) Comoros
Ans. (a)
Related facts
- The Gambia has become the second country in Africa to eliminate trachoma, one of the leading causes of blindness.
- The achievement, announced by the World Health Organization on 27 April 2021 , came after decades of work on the disease, which has damaged the sight of about 1.9 million people worldwide. Ghana was the first country in Africa to eliminate the disease in 2018.
- Infection is spread from person to person through hands, clothes or bedding, and by flies. According to the WHO, the disease often spreads widely within communities and is common among children.
- Trachoma is one of the WHO’s 20 neglected tropical diseases which predominantly affect low-income countries and are historically underfunded in research for treatments.
- Despite a decline in the number of people with the condition, from 1.5 billion to 135,000 over the past 20 years, it remains a problem in 44 countries.
By- Yogesh Pratap Singh