After decades of fighting, India has finally eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has become the third country in the Southeast Asia Region to achieve this milestone. The disease is one of the leading causes of blindness globally and has been a public health concern.
Here’s all we know about the disease. About trachoma Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes. It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis.
Termed as a neglected tropical disease, the eye condition is found in underprivileged communities living in poor environmental conditions. Women are reportedly up to four times more likely to be blinded due to the disease than men, due to their more frequent contact with infected children. The global health agency estimates that 150 million people worldwide are affected by trachoma and six million of them are blind or at risk of visually disabling complications.
Today, it remains a significant public health problem in 39 countries. Transmission The disease is contagious, spreading through contact with infected people’s eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions or indirectly through flies that have been in contact with these secretions. Other environmental factors that can lead to trachoma transmission are poor hygiene, crowded living conditions, lack of access to clean water and inadequate sanitation facilities.
Symptoms Trachoma begins with conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye.” .
