The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially validated Timor-Leste as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in global efforts to end the infectious eye disease.

Timor-Leste was the last country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region where endemic trachoma was suspected. Its validation means that trachoma is no longer considered a public health problem anywhere in the region.

The validation followed a multi-year assessment of disease transmission and the country’s ability to detect and manage future cases. Investigations conducted between 2015 and 2017 found no evidence of trachoma, while a 2025 survey analysed 4,949 samples from children aged 1–5 years across all 13 municipalities, with no evidence of transmission requiring trachoma-specific public health intervention.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Timor-Leste, highlighting the country’s planning, field investigations, surveillance and health-system capacity in protecting communities from preventable blindness.

Trachoma is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through contact with infected eye and nasal discharge. Repeated infections can cause eyelid scarring and inward-turning eyelashes, potentially leading to permanent blindness. The disease is closely linked to poverty and inadequate access to water, sanitation, hygiene and healthcare.

Following the validation, Timor-Leste will continue surveillance and maintain services for individual cases, including trichiasis surgery through the National Eye Centre in Dili and outreach programmes. Trachoma surveillance will also be integrated into existing national disease and neglected tropical disease monitoring systems.

Timor-Leste becomes the 33rd country worldwide and the fourth in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone. WHO said the achievement contributes to its global goal of eliminating trachoma as a public health problem worldwide by 2030.