Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.
[pib] WHO declares that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024
Mains GS3: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.
Why in the News?
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that India has successfully eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.
- This makes India the third country in the Southeast Asia Region to achieve this milestone.
- WHO has classified Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
- WHO estimates that around 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma, and 6 million of them are either blind or at risk of severe visual problems.
- Trachoma is commonly found in underprivileged communities living in poor conditions.
|
What is Trachoma?
- Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes.
- It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis.
- It is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, or secretions from the nose or throat of an infected person.
- If untreated, Trachoma can lead to irreversible blindness.
Trachoma in India: A Historical Perspective
- In the 1950s and 1960s, Trachoma was one of the leading causes of blindness in India.
- To tackle this, India launched the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963.
- Later, these efforts were integrated into India’s National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB).
- In 1971, the rate of blindness due to trachoma was 5% in the country.
- Due to various interventions under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), the rate has now dropped to less than 1%.
What are the key measures taken to eliminate Trachoma?
- India implemented the WHO SAFE strategy across the country. This strategy includes:
- Surgery
- Antibiotics
- Facial hygiene
- Environmental cleanliness
- Although by 2017, India was declared free from infective Trachoma, it continued surveillance of Trachoma cases from 2019 to 2024.
PYQ:
[2018] Appropriate local community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain. |