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The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed The Gambia's elimination of trachoma as a public health threat, saying it will save families, including children, from blindness.

Health workers have been urged to closely monitor the trend to "sustain the gains".

Trachoma is caused by the chlamydia bacteria and is spread from person to person by contaminated fingers, flies and towels. If untreated, the eyelids become chronically inflamed, and this, in turn, can eventually lead to blindness.

Trachoma remains endemic in 29 countries on the African continent, according to the WHO.

The Gambia eliminated trachoma after almost four decades of work, the government said in its announcement

"Gambia's success in trachoma elimination starts from the community," Sarjo Kanyi, manager of The Gambia's National Eye Health Programme and coordinator of the trachoma initiative, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

A network of eye units was set up across the country with the help of non-governmental organisations and thousands of volunteers went door-to-door to find people with the disease.