{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:30:09Z","timestamp":1786649409844,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743465600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The epidemic and eradication of trachoma in Iran during the past century reflects the evolution of modern medicine and the emergence of public health. To document these events, to recognize key contributions, and to synthesize lessons learned is a social responsibility.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To develop a comprehensive and credible historical review, we assembled a multidisciplinary team including a medical historian (JRO), disease control authorities from the Ministry of Health (AM and SFM), expert faculty from diverse fields (SFM, EA, SMM, and NB), the principal investigator of the most recent field survey (MK), and a prominent contemporary figure in Iran\u2019s Trachoma control efforts (JA). We reviewed institutional records, government health reports, and medical faculty documents archived in the National Library and Archives of Iran; analyzed the published scientific papers; interviewed the late Professor Hormoz Chams on key events and milestones; and consulted Iran\u2019s 2019 official report on trachoma elimination. We conducted documentary analysis and organized historical developments chronologically. Key actors, institutions, and interventions were identified to reconstruct the evolution of clinical practice, community investigations, and public health programs.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This review begins with a concise overview of the ancient and global history on trachoma, followed by a focused account of its history in Iran\u2014more detailed from the late Qajar to the Pahlavi period, and less so for the post-1979 Iranian revolution era. Recognized institutional players include Dar ul-Funun; Majlis-e Hefz al-Sehheh; Farabi Hospital and its Ophthalmology Chair; urban trachoma clinics and ministerial offices; the Parasitology Chair and Research Department, later the Institute of Parasitology and Malariology at the Medical School and later the School of Public Health at the Tehran University; the Social Services Organization; and the National Consultative Assembly. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company and its hospitals, the Red Lion and Sun Society, school-based health, and eventually the national primary health network all played important roles over time. Developments in medical specialization (ophthalmology and microbiology) and vocational education (community health and nursing) contributed to the efforts. Early generations of ophthalmologists, schoolteachers, nurses, disease and environmental control officers, and later community health workers, worked alongside microbiologists and public health experts. The evolution of treatment is traced from eye irrigation and lunar caustic chemoablation, to diathermocoagulation, and finally antibiotic therapy. While Iran never implemented mass drug administration, widespread free access to tetracycline eye ointment may have had a meaningful impact in the final stages. The Construction Jihad\u2019s major initiatives in the 1980s provided a leap forward in access to safe water and sanitation. Meanwhile, improvements in literacy and personal hygiene\u2013especially among children\u2013further transformed the landscape. Finally, the story includes notable individuals, such as the figure \u201cthe Kind Stranger\u201d.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Trachoma was the leading cause of blindness in Iran in the 1920s. Conservative projections suggest that active trachoma was eliminated between 1995 to 2000, and trachomatous trichiasis was corrected or fading by 2010-2015. The World Health Organization formally certified Iran\u2019s control of trachoma in 2018. This achievement demonstrates the impact of legislation and political accountability on national health and illustrates how broader socioeconomic progress contributes to health outcomes. Trachoma remains a compelling subject for continued inquiry and historical investigation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/joco.joco_119_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T14:00:37Z","timestamp":1766152837000},"page":"145-158","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The History of Trachoma in Iran"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"37","author":[{"given":"Seyed-Farzad","family":"Mohammadi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Damari Community Ophthalmology Research Center, Tehran, Iran"},{"name":"Translational Ophthalmology Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jamal","family":"Rezaei-Orimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran"},{"name":"Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Management Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Najmeh","family":"Bahmanziari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Translational Ophthalmology Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elham","family":"Ashrafi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Damari Community Ophthalmology Research Center, Tehran, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Seyed-Mehrdad","family":"Mohammadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Science History Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alireza","family":"Mahdavi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Non-Communicable Diseases Control, Deputy for Public Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marzieh","family":"Katibeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Center for Global Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jalil","family":"Allami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Damari Community Ophthalmology Research Center, Tehran, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"673","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3156.2010.02521.x","article-title":"Epidemiology and control of trachoma: Systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Hu","year":"2010","journal-title":"Trop Med Int Health"},{"key":"R2-20251222","first-page":"437","article-title":"Blepharotomy versus tarsotomy in upper eyelid cicatricial entropion","volume":"10","author":"Ferdosi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Bina J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R3-20251222","first-page":"1458","article-title":"The history of trachoma and current prevalence (spotlight on Iran): A review article","volume":"47","author":"Yaghoobi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Iran J Public Health"},{"key":"R4-20251222","first-page":"3","article-title":"Trachoma and us","volume":"12","author":"Mohammadi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Bina J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R5-20251222","first-page":"432","article-title":"Rapid assessment of trachoma (RAT) in South provinces of Iran","volume":"11","author":"Zare","year":"2006","journal-title":"Bina J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R6-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2007","DOI":"10.1038\/eye.2008.432","article-title":"Trachoma, is it history?","volume":"23","author":"Doyne","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eye"},{"key":"R7-20251222","first-page":"36","article-title":"History of trachoma","volume":"1","author":"Chams","year":"1943","journal-title":"Tehran Univ Med J"},{"key":"R11-20251222","article-title":"Prof. Chams, a pioneer of social medicine. Shargh Newspaper","author":"Aghajani","year":"2015"},{"key":"R13-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1142","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ophtha.2013.11.018","article-title":"Herbert herbert: His corneal pits and scleral slits","volume":"121","author":"Feibel","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ophthalmology"},{"key":"R15-20251222","first-page":"297","article-title":"WHO alliance for the global elimination of trachoma: Progress report on elimination of trachoma, 2022","volume":"98","year":"2023","journal-title":"Wkly Epidemiol Rec"},{"key":"R16-20251222","first-page":"51","article-title":"Trachoma disease in iran from the past to the end of the twentieth century","volume":"7","author":"Kasiri","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Res Hist Med"},{"key":"R17-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joco.2016.08.011","article-title":"Trachoma: Past, present and future","volume":"28","author":"Mohammadpour","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Curr Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R28-20251222","first-page":"131","article-title":"History of transformation of traditional medicine into modern medicine in Qajar Era","volume":"16","author":"Laleh","year":"2006","journal-title":"Humanities (Alzahra Univ)"},{"key":"R29-20251222","first-page":"119","article-title":"The historical backgrounds of the Ministry of Health Foundation in Iran","volume":"10","author":"Azizi","year":"2007","journal-title":"Arch Iran Med"},{"key":"R34-20251222","first-page":"29","article-title":"A report on the life of morris yang, a British physician at the British \u2013Iran oil company","volume":"10","author":"Ghassemlou","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Islamic Iran Tradit Med"},{"key":"R35-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1177\/0967772015583445","article-title":"Morris young, pioneer physician","volume":"25","author":"Amadouny","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Med Biogr"},{"key":"R38-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.30699\/ijmm.12.4.230","article-title":"History of bacterial infection diseases in Iran","volume":"12","author":"Mirsalehian","year":"2018","journal-title":"Iran J Med Microbiol"},{"key":"R39-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.34172\/aim.34404","article-title":"Lessons from the past: examining the historical context of trachoma management in Iran (1925 - 1941)","volume":"28","author":"Saghebi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Arch Iran Med"},{"key":"R42-20251222","first-page":"65","article-title":"History and performance of red lion and sun society of Iran in the era of Reza Shah, relying on documents","volume":"4","author":"Fayazi","year":"2009","journal-title":"History"},{"key":"R43-20251222","first-page":"107","article-title":"Health corps and expansion of healthcare in Iran: Case study of 1966-1971","volume":"3","author":"Sahami","year":"2017","journal-title":"Tarikhname-ye Enghelab"},{"key":"R45-20251222","first-page":"6","article-title":"Exploring health advancements in dezful during the Pahlavi era (1304-1357 SH)","volume":"27","author":"Darkatanian","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ganjine Ye Asnad"},{"key":"R49-20251222","first-page":"122","article-title":"Results of diathermo-coagulation on 137200 cases of trachoma in Iran","volume":"27","author":"Chams","year":"1950","journal-title":"Rev Int Trach"},{"key":"R54-20251222","first-page":"865","article-title":"Professor M. Gholi chams \u201cfather of modern ophthalmology in Iran\u201d","volume":"18","author":"Chams","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch Iran Med"},{"key":"R61-20251222","first-page":"996","article-title":"Study on the epidemiology of trachoma in Iran","volume":"17","author":"Mohsenin","year":"1960","journal-title":"Tehran Univ Med J"},{"key":"R62-20251222","first-page":"849","article-title":"Studies on trachoma and conjunctivitis in Dezful county","volume":"18","author":"Mohsenin","year":"1961","journal-title":"Tehran Univ Med J"},{"key":"R63-20251222","first-page":"22","article-title":"The trachoma issue","volume":"14","author":"Mohsenin","year":"1956","journal-title":"Tehran Univ Med J"},{"key":"R64-20251222","first-page":"20","article-title":"Trachoma virus","volume":"1","author":"Chams","year":"1943","journal-title":"Tehran Univ Med J"},{"key":"R65-20251222","first-page":"361","article-title":"Trachoma symptoms","volume":"3","author":"Chams","year":"1946","journal-title":"Tehran Univ 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Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R101-20251222","first-page":"29","article-title":"Prevalence and causes of blindness and low vision in Khuzestan province, Iran","volume":"4","author":"Feghhi","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Ophthalmic Vis Res"},{"key":"R102-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.4103\/meajo.MEAJO_168_16","article-title":"Prevalence and major causes of visual impairment in Iranian adults: A systematic review","volume":"24","author":"Mohammadi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R103-20251222","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.3109\/09286586.2015.1037400","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors for trachoma in rural areas of Sistan-va-Baluchestan Province, Iran: A population-based study","volume":"22","author":"Katibeh","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ophthalmic 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