World trachoma alliance meets in Morocco

The World Trachoma Alliance opened monday a meeting in the southern Moroccan city of Ouarzazate to sustain the efforts made by Morocco for the struggle against eye-diseases, blindness and especially the trachoma plague.

The holding of this scientific encounter in Morocco was decided by the World Health Organization during its 51st general assembly held last may in Geneva.

The gathering, attended by renowned world experts and delegates from several countries concerned by the trachoma disease, is an opportunity for Moroccan ophthalmologists to benefit from advanced countries experiences in matters of eye-surgery, diagnosis and struggle against trachoma.

To contain this plague which is widely spread in the southern Moroccan provinces and rural zones, the Moroccan health department has set an ambitious program for the elimination of trachoma by year 2000.

The program provides for the launching of hygiene and prevention campaigns, intensification of free-surgical operations and improvement of medical care of the targeted populations.