Trachoma Elimination

Context: India has been awarded the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

About Trachoma

• Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
  • Blindness from trachoma is irreversible.
• Transmission: Spreads through personal contact (hands, clothes, bedding, or contaminated surfaces).
  • Flies that have touched the eye or nasal discharge of an infected person can also spread the infection.
• Disease Progression: Repeated infections over the years can cause the eyelashes to turn inward (a condition called trichiasis).
  • This leads to pain and can result in permanent corneal damage and blindness.

India and Trachoma

• On October 8th, 2023, WHO officially declared that India had eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.
• India became the third country in the WHO Southeast Asia region to achieve this milestone.
• Role of NPCBVI: The National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) played a key role through prevention, early detection, and treatment of trachoma.

Efforts Of World Health Organisation (WHO) For Trachoma Elimination

• SAFE Strategy, 1993: WHO launched the SAFE strategy – Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement to combat trachoma.
• The Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD): Trachoma is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • It is targeted for elimination or control under the NTD Roadmap 2021–2030.