Health Minister receives Public Health Achievement Award for the elimination of Trachoma in Timor-Leste
DÍLI, 08 September 2026 (TATOLI) – The Minister of Health, Élia A. A. dos Reis Amaral, received the World Health Organisation (WHO) Public Health Achievement Award today, September 8th, 2026, in Dili, from WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in recognition of Timor-Leste’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem.
The award was presented during the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, which is being held in Timor-Leste from September 7th to 10th, 2026.
On September 3rd, 2026, the WHO officially validated the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Timor-Leste, following an evaluation that spanned several years. Timor-Leste thus became the fourth country in the WHO South-East Asia Region and the 33rd worldwide to receive this validation.
Timor-Leste was the last country in the region where trachoma was known or suspected to be a public health problem. The other countries in the region that have not undergone the validation process have no history of endemic trachoma. Thus, with Timor-Leste’s validation, trachoma is no longer a public health problem throughout the WHO South-East Asia Region.
Trachoma, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide and is particularly associated with communities that have limited access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and healthcare.
The WHO’s validation resulted from a research and surveillance process that included studies conducted between 2015 and 2017, involving examinations of children in Ataúro, screenings at eye clinics nationwide, and active case-finding efforts, with no cases of trachoma detected. In 2025, a new study analysed 4,949 samples from children aged one to five across the country and found no evidence of transmission at a level that would warrant a specific public health intervention against the disease.
On the occasion of the validation, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Timor-Leste and said, “By combining strong planning, careful field research, and modern surveillance, the country has demonstrated how science and robust health systems can protect people from preventable blindness.”
The Director-General added that “the elimination of trachoma in the South-East Asia Region marks a significant step towards our global goal of eliminating trachoma worldwide by 2030.”
The Minister of Health stated that “the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Timor-Leste, officially validated by the WHO, is a source of immense national pride. This achievement was made possible thanks to sustained national commitment and the collective efforts of our health professionals, communities, and partners, to whom we express our deepest gratitude.”
Élia A. A. dos Reis Amaral added that this achievement “renews our determination to promote universal health coverage and to build an equitable and resilient health system that reaches and protects all people, regardless of where they live.”
The evidence supporting the validation was produced under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners in the fields of eye health and research.
TATOLI
