The King has praised Malawi for its “remarkable success” in eliminating the infectious disease trachoma which causes blindness.
Charles paid tribute to the “hard work, dedication and commitment” that led to the breakthrough, in a message to the country’s president, Lazarus Chakwera.
The Countess of Wessex is visiting Malawi to celebrate the achievement and has attended a dinner marking the milestone, before joining guests at Malawi’s national World Sight Day celebrations on Thursday.
The King said in his message: “This is a remarkable success, and a true testament to all those whose hard work, dedication and commitment has led to Malawi becoming the first country in Southern Africa to eliminate this devastating, neglected tropical disease as a public health issue.
“Tackling avoidable blindness across the Commonwealth was a cause close to the heart of my beloved mother.
“Indeed, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, set up in 2012 to create an enduring legacy for her, took the elimination of trachoma as a major part of its mission.
“I am particularly proud that Malawi is the first country supported by the Trust to reach the extraordinary milestone of trachoma elimination.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a few weeks ago it had validated Malawi’s elimination of trachoma as a public health issue, making it the fourth country in WHO’s African Region after Ghana (June 2018), Gambia (April 2021) and Togo (May 2022) to achieve this significant milestone.
Sophie is visiting Malawi in her role as a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and as former vice patron of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
Charles went on to say: “The commitment made by so many Commonwealth leaders at the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases summit in Kigali a few months ago gives me great encouragement that other countries will be inspired by your achievement and, thus, redouble their efforts to eliminate trachoma along with other such diseases.”
