Who Recognises India’s Efforts In Eliminating Trachoma Thereby Improving Public Health Outcomes

The WHO has recently recognised and declared India’s efforts on eliminating trachoma which is a pressing public health concern. India now joins Nepal and Myanmar in the WHO South-East Asia Region and 19 other countries globally that have previously achieved this feat. Trachoma continues to be a public health problem in 39 countries and is responsible for the blindness of about 1.9 million people.

Commenting on India’s effort to eliminate trachoma, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, - “India’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is a testimony to the country’s commitment to alleviating the suffering that millions have faced from this debilitating disease.” He further added, “WHO has worked closely with India to realize this achievement, and we congratulate the government, health workers and partners who have collaborated to make it possible.”

In 1963, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India initiated a trachoma control project with support from WHO and UNICEF. The community-based interventions consisted of surgical treatment, topical antibiotic treatment, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives, along with health education promoting behaviour change to decrease transmission. The program further expanded to include accessible interventions in rural areas. After the initiation of the National Program for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) in 1976, trachoma control program activities were integrated with activities of NPCBVI and elimination efforts continued. In 2005, trachoma was responsible for 4% of all cases of blindness in India. By 2018, the prevalence of trachoma was down to 0.008%. A series of impact, pre-validation and trichiasis-only surveys were completed in 2024, confirmed that elimination targets had been met in all previously endemic evaluation units.

What is Trachoma?

Trachoma is a devastating eye disease caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The infection spreads from person to person through contaminated fingers, fomites and flies that have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.

Environmental risk factors for trachoma transmission include poor hygiene, overcrowded households, and inadequate access to water, and sanitation facilities.

Repeated infections in childhood lead to scarring of the inner side of the upper eyelids, resulting in inward turning of the eyelid margin, with the eyelashes touching the eyeball. This is a painful condition known as trachomatous trichiasis – if left untreated, it can result in visual impairment and blindness.

Source: www.who.int/news