New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) More than 98 lakh cataract surgeries were performed in the fiscal year 2024-25, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Jadhav stated that the surgeries performed under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) in 2024-25 were the highest in the last five years.

“In 2020-21, 35,50,765 surgeries took place. The number spiked to 61,98,830 in 2021-22, 83,44,824 in 2022-23, and 90,29,242 in 2023-24,” Jadhav said.

Further, the Minister noted that a total of 4,34,48,416 persons have been directly benefitted under NPCB&VI since the fiscal year 2020-21.

“In 2020-21, the programme benefitted 40,31,340 people, which in 2021-22 helped 70,89,142 persons. In 2022-23, 98,81,022 people benefited. And the number spiked to 1,06,91,727 in 2023-24 and to 1,17,55,185 in the fiscal year 2024-25,” Jadhav said.

The benefits include cataract operations, free spectacles to school children suffering from refractive errors, treatment/management of other eye diseases (diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, childhood blindness, keratoplasty, vitreoretinal surgery, etc.)

While the programme provided 12,14,395 school children with free spectacles in 2024-25, it treated 6,47,111 people for various eye diseases, the MoS said.

The Minister also informed that “during 2025, three multipurpose district mobile ophthalmic units have been established under NPCBVI”.

The States/UTs were also provided ample funding for the purchase of sophisticated modern ophthalmic equipment.

“Under NPCBVI, indigenous cornea storage media have been developed to support cornea transplant in the country,” Jadhav said.

Meanwhile, the NPCBVI played a significant role in eliminating trachoma over the years. The efforts undertaken under the programme enabled India to become the third country in the world to eliminate the disease, which causes irreversible blindness, as a public health problem.

Trachoma is a disease affecting the eyes caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It remains a public health problem in 42 countries and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people.

–IANS

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