Current Context: India has been awarded the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the 78^th World Health Assembly held in Geneva.

About Trachoma

• Cause: A contagious eye infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the WHO.
• Impact: Repeated infections can lead to irreversible blindness due to scarring of the inner eyelid and corneal damage.
• Transmission: Spread through personal contact, contaminated items, or flies that have come into contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.
• Indian Initiative: The Trachoma Control Programme was integrated under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) in 1976.