With a survey spanning three years finding not a single case of Trachoma infection, a leading cause of infectious blindness, in children aged 1-9 years in the high-risk regions across the States, India will be on Friday declared as having eliminated Trachoma.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda will make the announcement in this regard at an event here. Trachoma is considered as ‘eliminated’ when its prevalence drops to less than five per cent among children aged between 1 to 9 years, as per the criteria laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
By eliminating this disease caused by bacterial agent chlamydia trachomatis, the Government is hoping that children can now grow up safe from this painful and potentially blinding infection.
It is caused and usually spread by flies, poor hygiene, crowded places, lack of water, and environmental factors such as humid conditions. Improper disposable of garbage also adds to the spread of the disease.
Sources said that as per the survey conducted by the doctors from AIIMS, it’s a major achievement and part of the national three-year survey conducted in collaboration with the Union Health Ministry.
The survey was conducted in 27 high-risk districts of States and UTs like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Nicobar Islands to find out the eye status of the children and the treatment being given to them. Conducted over the last three years (March 2014-2017), it revealed that the extent of the disease has reduced significantly.
Earlier too, the AIIMS had conducted a 12-year study (1997-2008) in rural northern India too and has shown the prevalence of trachoma to be persisting in Northern India, albeit at a lower level.
Trachoma is known to be a public health problem in 41 countries, and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. In 2016, 190.2 million people lived in trachoma endemic areas and were at risk of trachoma blindness.