India declared free of Trachoma, a bacterial eye infection, a milestone announced by PM Modi. This achievement follows decades of government initiatives, including the National Trachoma Control Program and continuous surveillance. The WHO's SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) was key to eliminating this leading cause of preventable blindness in the country.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India has been declared free of Trachoma.
Trachoma is a chronic, contagious eye infection that poses a public health threat, particularly in marginalized communities. It is a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.
Causative Agent => Trachoma is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. This specific type of bacteria affects the conjunctiva, the membrane lining the eyelids and covering the white part of the eyeball.
Mode of Spread => The disease is highly contagious. It spreads through direct contact with eye, eyelid, nose, or throat secretions from infected individuals. This can occur through hands, clothing, or shared towels.
Impact and Progression => If left untreated, repeated infections lead to chronic inflammation and scarring of the inner eyelid. This scarring causes the eyelid to turn inward, a condition known as trachomatous trichiasis (TT) ultimately leading to permanent blindness.
Socio-economic Link => Trachoma largely affects communities living in poor environmental conditions, characterized by inadequate access to clean water, poor sanitation, overcrowding, and limited hygiene practices.
Global Burden => The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Globally, the WHO estimates that about 150 million people are affected by Trachoma.
Early Interventions => The Government initiated the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963. Over time, the efforts were integrated into broader public health initiatives, the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB), later renamed the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI).
Initial Declaration (2017) => As a result of these efforts, India was initially declared free from infectious Trachoma in 2017. This indicated that the active, infectious stage of the disease was no longer a public health concern across the country.
Continued Surveillance and Surveys (2019-2024) => To ensure sustained elimination and meet the strict criteria set by the WHO for full public health problem elimination, India continued surveillance for Trachoma cases in all its districts from 2019 onwards till 2024.
National Trachomatous Trichiasis Survey was conducted in 200 endemic districts across the country under the NPCBVI from 2021-2024. This survey specifically assessed the prevalence of the blinding stage (TT), which is a key mandate from WHO for declaring elimination.
Recent Official Announcement => Based on the comprehensive efforts and the rigorous surveys, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced in his 'Mann Ki Baat' program that the WHO has declared India free of Trachoma as a public health problem.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following statements regarding Trachoma: 1. It is a chronic infectious eye disease caused by a virus belonging to the Chlamydiaceae family. 2. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the "SAFE" strategy for its elimination, which includes Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement. 3. India was declared free from infective Trachoma as a public health problem in 2017. 4. The most severe stage, leading to irreversible blindness. Which of the statements given above are correct? A) 1, 2 and 3 only B) 2, 3 and 4 only C) 1, 3 and 4 only D) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Answer: B Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect: Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, not a virus. Statement 2 is correct: The WHO indeed recommends the SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) for trachoma elimination. Statement 3 is correct: India was declared free from infective Trachoma as a public health problem in 2017. Statement 4 is correct: The final stage of trachoma, Corneal Opacity, results from repeated infections causing eyelashes to turn inward (trichiasis) and scratch the cornea, leading to scarring, ulceration, and eventually irreversible blindness. |
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