India has officially eliminated trachoma as a public health issue, making it the third country in the South-East Asia region to achieve this significant milestone, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The announcement was made at the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee meeting held in New Delhi. Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, presented the certification to Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Trachoma is a highly contagious eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which was once a major cause of blindness in India, especially among disadvantaged communities living in poor conditions. If left untreated, this infection can lead to irreversible blindness. According to WHO statistics, approximately 150 million people globally are affected by trachoma, with around 6 million at risk of severe visual impairment or blindness.
India's battle against trachoma began in 1963 with the launch of the National Trachoma Control Program, which later became part of the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB). In 1971, the rate of blindness due to trachoma was 5%. However, through persistent efforts under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), this figure has since decreased to less than 1%.
The WHO's SAFE strategy, which emphasizes surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement, played a crucial role in India’s fight against this infectious disease. By 2017, India had already been declared free of trachoma.
Despite this success, the country continued its surveillance efforts, conducting the National Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT only) Survey in 200 endemic districts from 2021 to 2024, as required by WHO. The collected data underwent thorough review by WHO, culminating in India's official certification for trachoma elimination.
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