Trachoma elimination and the Sustainable Development Goals

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on 25th September 2015 for ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) were agreed. And 9 of these SDGs are addressed – directly and indirectly – by the SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination:

The infographic below shows the visual connections between the SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma and the 9 SDGs for transforming our world.

Reaching beyond trachoma elimination

(Click to expand)

• GOAL 1 NO POVERTY: Trachoma exacerbates the poverty cycle in the most vulnerable populations. Loss of productivity due to trachoma has been estimated at $8 billion.

• GOAL 2 NO HUNGER: Indirect benefits from A, F, E interventions and the consequent reduction in poverty increases opportunities for a balanced nutrition.

• GOAL 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELL–BEING: S and A interventions reduce active disease and prevent blindness. Mass distribution of azithromycin has a known impact beyond trachoma and reduces the odds for childhood mortality. The antibiotic is proven to be effective in the treatment of pneumonia and reduction of diarrhoea. F and E interventions improve sanitation and clean water and therefore reduce diarrhoea and intestinal worms.

• GOAL 4 QUALITY EDUCATION: Anecdotal evidence suggests that trachoma negatively impacts school attendance, particularly for the girls. When elders are affected by the disease, girls are often pulled from school to assist with responsibilities in the home.

• GOAL 5 GENDER EQUALITY: Studies have shown women are 4 times at higher risk of trachoma infection than men. SAFE programmes that target women can address inequities that result from gender-based differences in disease burden

• GOAL 6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION: reduce disease transmission and recurrent infections as a higher percentage of the population is using safely managed water and sanitation services

• GOAL 8 GOOD JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH through direct and indirect impact of trachoma elimination

• GOAL 10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES: Disease mapping and targeting the SAFE strategy to the most vulnerable populations improves equitable access to health services and health education.

• GOAL 17 PARTNERSHIPS FOR GOALS: The GET2020 Alliance is an international partnership engaged in mobilizing resources and drug donations for trachoma elimination.