Nigeria and 15 other countries have received a boost with a $36.5 million injection of funds to combat trachoma.
Dr. Joy Shu’aibu, the Country Director for Sightsavers, an international development organization, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja.
Trachoma, categorized as a neglected tropical disease, initiates as a bacterial infection affecting the eye, ultimately leading to vision impairment and irreversible blindness.
Dr. Shu’aibu emphasized that the funding is allocated under the “Accelerate Programme,” with the ambitious goal of eradicating the disease by 2027.
She expressed the harrowing impact of trachoma on individuals, hindering their ability to work, sustain livelihoods, perform household tasks, and pursue education.
Furthermore, she elaborated that the additional funds would extend the reach of the Programme, which commenced in 2018.
The primary objective of the initiative is to eliminate trachoma as a public health concern by 2027 in 12 targeted countries, including Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Additionally, support will be extended to Ethiopia, which bears the world’s highest burden of the disease.