India Eliminated Trachoma: WHO

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem becoming the third country in the South-East Asia to achieve this milestone.

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Key Highlights

• Trachoma is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis.
• It affects the eyes & if left untreated it causes irreversible blindness.
• Transmission: Trachoma is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions of infected people.
• WHO has termed Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease.
• According to its estimates, around 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma and 6 million of them are blind or at risk of visually disabling complications.