Trachoma no longer a public health problem in India: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified India, Nepal, and Myanmar as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. India joins 19 other countries in the world that have successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. According to the WHO, trachoma is still a major public health problem in 39 countries in the world and causes blindness in around 19 lakh people worldwide.

WHO has attributed the success to the government's National Trachoma Control Program. Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission.

What is Trachoma?

Trachoma is an eye disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria.  It is a highly infectious disease that spreads from one infected person to another through;

• contaminated fingers,
• fomites (objects or materials likely to carry infection, such as clothes, utensils, and furniture),
• Coming into contact with flies that have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.
• Poor hygienic conditions, overcrowded households, and inadequate access to water and sanitation facilities.

Repeated infection with trachoma leads to scarring of the inner side of the upper eyelids. This scarring causes the eyelid margin to turn inward, and the person's eyelashes touch the eyeball. This painful condition is known as trachomatous trichiasis, and if left untreated, it can result in visual impairment and blindness.

Government’s  effort to deal with Trachoma 

To address the problem of trachoma, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a National Trachoma Control Program in 1963 with the help of WHO and UNICEF.

In 1976, the central government launched the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), and the National Trachoma Control Program was merged with it.

The NPCBVI  programme incorporated the WHO's SAFE strategy. 

The WHO’s recommended SAFE strategy consists of: 

• Surgery; 
• Antibiotics to clear the infection
• Facial cleanliness, and 
• Environmental improvement emphasises cleanliness, improving access to clean water and sanitation.

Success against Trachoma 

According to the government of India, during the 50s and 60s, trachoma was widespread in  Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the Nicobar Islands, with over 50 per cent of their population infected by the eye disease. In 1971, trachoma was responsible for 5% of all blindness cases in the country.

However, due to the successful implementation of the National Trachoma Control Program, the incidence of trachoma-induced blindness was brought down to  4% of all cases of blindness in India. By 2018, it was down to 0.008%.

Trachoma Free Countries

According to the World Health Organisation, 19 countries have successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. These are Benin, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Gambia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Morocco, Malawi, Mali, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and Vanuatu.

World Health Organisation 

The World Health Organisation is an agency of the United Nations which was formed on 7 April 1948.

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland 

Members: 194 countries 

Director General :  Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus