India defeats Trachoma, praised by WHO
The WHO has stated that India is the fourth country in Southeast Asia to achieve this feat, after Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Trachoma is a tropical disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It can cause blindness if left untreated. According to the WHO’s certificate, “The World Health Organization’s South-East Asia regional office is proud to announce that the Government of India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem by 2024.”The WHO’s Regional Director, Saima Wajid, said, “India’s success is due to its strong government leadership.”Eye disease Trachoma
The Regional Director praised the doctors and health workers who worked tirelessly to prevent Trachoma. They also encouraged people to drink clean water, maintain personal hygiene, and wash their faces regularly. Wajid presented India with a certificate and a plaque at the 77th Regional Committee Session in the national capital, during the ‘Public Health Award’ ceremony. India was previously known to be endemic to Trachoma in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, according to the Health Ministry’s survey, there is no recent evidence of Trachoma and related blindness in India.
The central government had declared the country free of infectious Trachoma and active Trachoma in children. The National Trachoma Prevalence Survey and Trachoma Rapid Assessment Survey conducted between 2014 and 2017 found that the overall prevalence of active Trachoma was 0.7 percent.