India has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, becoming the third country in the South-East Asia region to reach this milestone, the World Health Organization said.
The announcement was made during the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee meeting in New Delhi, where Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, presented the certification to Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Trachoma, a highly contagious bacterial eye infection caused by Chlamydia Trachomatis, was once a leading cause of blindness in India, particularly in underprivileged communities living in poor environmental conditions.
If left untreated, the infection can lead to irreversible blindness. According to WHO, around 150 million people worldwide are affected by trachoma, with 6 million at risk of blindness or visually disabling complications.
India’s fight against trachoma began in 1963 with the launch of the National Trachoma Control Program, which was later integrated into the National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB). In 1971, blindness due to Trachoma stood at 5%, but through sustained efforts under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), that figure dropped to less than 1%.
The WHO’s SAFE strategy—focusing on surgery, antibiotics, facial hygiene, and environmental cleanliness—was instrumental in India’s efforts to combat infective trachoma. By 2017, India had been declared free of the disease.
Despite this early success, India continued its surveillance efforts, conducting the National Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT only) Survey in 200 endemic districts between 2021 and 2024, as mandated by WHO. The compiled reports were rigorously reviewed by WHO, leading to India’s official certification of trachoma elimination.