The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Egypt as free of trachoma, making it the seventh country in the Eastern Mediterranean region to eliminate the disease, one of the world’s leading preventable causes of blindness.

The certificate was presented during the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where Deputy Health Minister Amr Kandil accepted the recognition on behalf of Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

This milestone follows Egypt’s certification for eliminating malaria last year, underscoring the country’s broader public health and disease control successes.

Health Minister Abdel Ghaffar said the recognition affirms Egypt’s success in eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. He credited strong political leadership and ongoing healthcare reforms, while emphasizing that surveillance and prevention programs will continue to safeguard against the disease’s return.