Key findings
- In 2022 Australia reached World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks for elimination of trachoma as a public health problem, defined as: trachomatous inflammation-follicular (active trachoma) prevalence <5% in children and trichiasis (severe advanced disease) prevalence ‘unknown to the health system’ <0.2% in persons 15+ years. Australia must maintain these levels in each formerly endemic evaluation unit (state/territory) for a further two years before being eligible to apply for validation of elimination as a public health problem.
- There were communities 88 considered currently at risk of trachoma in 2023. Since 2014, the number of communities at risk of trachoma has fallen by 45% in NT (78 in 2014 to 43 in 2023), 48% in SA (21 in 2014 to 11 in 2023) and 50% in WA (68 in 2014 to 34 in 2023).
- Overall trachoma prevalence, which includes estimates from all communities ever considered at-risk, remained below 5% in 2023 at 2.3% in NT, 0% in SA, 1.6% in WA.
- Trachomatous trichiasis ‘previously unknown to the health system’ was reported in screened populations at a rate of 0.01% in NT, 0% in SA and 0.2% in WA. Estimates derived from screening predominately aligned to current endemic regions are likely to over-estimate the true population level prevalence of TT in Australian jurisdictions, as the broader First Nations population does not have the same exposure risk.
- If these trends continue, Australia is on track to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, by 2025.
- Trachoma however remains a health issue in some remote First Nations communities, with nearly one-quarter of communities screened in 2023 reported endemic or hyper endemic trachoma. This indicates a strong post-elimination plan, led by First Nations communities and community-controlled organisations, will be critical to sustaining elimination.
