EndTrachoma

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Australia is the only developed country in the world where trachoma still exists, and Rotary in Australia can do something about this! Join us now.

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection that can lead to blindness if left untreated. Australia is the only developed country in the world where trachoma still exists. The Australian government and non-government organisations including Fred Hollows, have invested much money and efforts since the 1970s to eliminate the disease, and we are very close to doing this by 2020. But we need your support. With Rotary clubs across Australia supporting us, we can make sure that this disease is eradicated from Australia's land forever. Why should Rotary get involved? Because we can provide the community driven response that is required to ensure the sustained elimination of trachoma. In Australia, we use the World Health Organisation's recommended SAFE strategy to guide us. This strategy has reportedly seen the recent elimination of trachoma from China, Gambia, Ghana, Islamic Republic of Iran, Morocco, Myanmar and Oman. Australia has long focused on the medical interventions of the strategy (Surgery and Antibiotics), but greater focus now is required on the public health strategies - Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement. These are areas that Rotary Clubs all over Australia know about, have worked with communities on, and are essentially, through lived experiences, expert strategists for such goals. We can end trachoma in Australia by 2020. And we can end it forever.

16/09/2026

🎥 As you watch this video, see if you can spot the EndTrachoma and Rotary contribution along the way!

This video captures the incredible journey of the WA-based Environmental Health Trachoma Project from 2018 to 2026 — eight years of working alongside communities to help reduce the impact of trachoma and improve environmental health.

Rotary’s Australia-wide EndTrachoma project first connected with the team in 2019 and was very proud to become a Major Partner, helping provide practical resources that supported their work across 41 inland Western Australian communities.

👀 As you watch, look out for some of the EndTrachoma-supported items that became part of that work:

💜 21,000 towels — including the first 10,000 delivered in 2020
💜 Two Mobile Laundry Trailers, valued at approximately $48,000 each, delivered in 2021 and 2022
💜 More than 7,000 acrylic mirrors
💜 Thousands of branded carry bags, toothbrushes, tissues, face washers and other hygiene and personal-care items, including wound-care products, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner and more.

Each of these items had a practical purpose — helping the team deliver health and hygiene initiatives directly into communities and supporting the important work being done on the ground.

As this chapter of the project comes to a close in 2026, we congratulate the entire team on what they have achieved and thank them for welcoming EndTrachoma and Rotary as partners in their work.

We are incredibly proud that Rotary clubs and supporters from across Australia were able to play a part in helping turn support into practical action where it was needed most. 💜

Congratulations — and thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.

This video shows the WA trachoma prevention project from conception...

01/07/2026

How Rotary Is Supporting Kooyong Communities | Dr Monique Ryan Speech

30 June 2026 - Dr Monique Ryan acknowledged in Parliament that Rob McGuirk has led the Rotary project that has helped eradicate trachoma. 😀

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

01/07/2026

EXCITING NEWS! EndTrachoma features on Page 8 of RDU One. 😀
https://epubs.media/rotarydownunder/ezine/2026/690/

Enjoy the double page feature thanks to Rob McGuirk for making this feature possible. 👏👏

29/06/2026

Congratulations to our EndTrachoma Founder and Director, Rob McGuirk, for being this year’s recipient of the 'Robert M Fels Peace Award'.

The annual Robert Fels Peace Award recognises a person who
significantly enhances sustainable peace building, conflict prevention and conflict resolution at international, national, or local community levels.

Rob was selected to receive the award as a result of his commitment to social justice and peace building having been exhibited in many ways throughout his life.
** As a lawyer he worked primarily in commercial law in the UK and Australia.
** For more than 20 years he worked in the evenings as a volunteer lawyer at a community legal advice centre in Melbourne.
** He has been a member of Rotary Melbourne since 1993. Has held positions of Chair Indigenous Programs 2012-2018, Director Community Service 2013 – 2015, Vice President 2017-2018.
** He has a longstanding involvement with another peace promoting organization - the Youth Hostels Association. Rob has served on both the YHA Board of Australia and its International Board. He was Chair of YHA in Australia for 5 years including President Hostelling International 2018-2020.

** In 2016, Rob was the founder of Rotary’s EndTrachoma project. Over the past 10 years the project has, engaged more than 250
Rotary clubs across Australia, raised $1.2 million, partnered with over 40 other organizations and delivered enormous practical health and hygiene support to remote Central Australian communities most affected by trachoma.
** Rob also conceived and managed the Rotary Peace Bell project in time for the 2023 RI Convention held in Melbourne. He liaised with various stakeholders (Rotary International, the Melbourne City
Council, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the indigenous community
and the designer of the bells) to have the bells placed in the Rotary
Peace Park in South Yarra.

From all of us at EndTrachoma - CONGRATULATIONS Rob. This acknowledgement of your amazing service is so deserved. 👏👏👏👏👏

19/06/2026

Listen in on 94.1FM for an update on EndTrachoma.
Starting at 6pm Melb time - Sandi Fulcher will be online till 8pm (Friday 19 June) being interviewed by the fabulous Susie Cole.

Give us a thumbs up if you log in. 😃

31/05/2026

Have a look who EndTrachoma Director Rob McGuirk ran into when visiting Alice Springs to watch the Melbourne Football Club play GWS - 'Milpa The Goanna' and Lesley from Minum Barreng: Indigenous Eye Health. 😀 Both have been great partners with us at EndTrachoma over the last 10 years.

We all hope you all enjoyed the game soaking up the atmosphere. 😀

30/04/2026

How is this for a fantastic announcement........."Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem!"

The Rotary Australia wide EndTrachoma Project is very pleased to share that the World Health Organisation has declared that Australia has drastically reduced the rates of trachoma to a level that it is no longer regarded as a public health problem.

Over the last 10 years, EndTrachoma has joined forces with 258 Rotary Clubs, 5 Rotaract Clubs, 2 Interact Clubs, Rotakids, RYLA, Inner Wheel, many Schools, churches, and community groups and together we have made a difference.

From EndTrachoma to everyone who we have had the pleasure of partnering with, thank you for the difference that together we have made to assist with helping to eliminate trachoma.

For the full story, go to:

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3000

Website

http://www.endtrachoma2020.org.au/

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