‘Success Of Health Workers': PM Modi On India Being Declared Trachoma-Free Nation
Last Updated:
Last month, India was awarded the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem by the WHO at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the success of Indian health workers after World Health Organisation (WHO) declared India free of Trachoma, an eye disease.
While addressing the 123rd episode of his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, 'I am delighted to share with you that WHO has declared India free of Trachoma, an eye disease. This is the success of our health workers. 'Jal Jeevan' Mission has contributed to this."
He also mentioned about the International Yoga Day and said that millions across the country and the world took part in the celebrations.
Addressing the radio program, PM Modi said, 'On June 21, millions across the country and the world took part in the International Day of Yoga celebrations. It began 10 years ago. Over the 10 years, every year his tradition has become grander than before. This indicates that more people are incorporating yoga into their lives."
He further emphasised upon the resumption of Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. He said that the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra has resumed after a long time, marking a significant moment for devotees. He also said that the Amarnath Yatra is set to begin from July 3, enabling pilgrims to embark on this sacred journey once again. 'My best wishes to those who are about to embark on these pilgrimages," he added.
Last month, India was awarded the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
In October last year, the WHO declared that the Government of India had eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem. India also became the third country in the Southeast Asia region to reach this public health milestone. The government has taken various steps under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) to eliminate Trachoma.
Since 2019, the National Programme has developed a continuous surveillance setup for trachoma cases by collecting case reports from all the districts in the country via sa pecific WHO shared format. The National Trachomatous Trichiasis survey was done in 200 endemic districts of the country during 2021-24, which was a mandate set by WHO.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Tripura adopted zero-tolerance policy against drug menace on PM Modi, HM Shah's advice: CM Saha
Agartala: On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the Tripura government has taken a zero-tolerance policy against the drug menace and its illegal trade, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday. Inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various projects worth Rs 42.46 crore in Dhalai district, the Chief Minister said that Tripura is being used as a corridor for the illegal drugs trade and the law enforcement agencies are always remain extra alert to curb the illicit activities. 'Of late we have witnessed a section of girls become involved in the drug menaces and its abuse. Abusing of drugs through Intravenous Injection has been rising in Tripura causing spread of HIV/AIDS,' said Saha, who also holds Health and Family Welfare and Education portfolios. He said that the Union Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry has already sanctioned Rs 198 crore for setting up a special drug de-addiction centre at Bishramganj in the state's Sepahijala district. The Chief Minister said that the state government has already decided to set up drug de-addiction centres in all the eight districts of the state, with Rs 20 crore would be spent for each of the centres. During the financial year 2024-2025, the seizure of drugs increased by 103 per cent and destruction of seized drugs increased by 132 per cent, he added. Claiming that Tripura would become a militancy-free state, the Chief Minister said that after a tripartite agreement in Delhi in presence of Union Home Minister, several hundred militants from the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) surrendered to the state government in September last year. He also announced that all the promises made to the NLFT and ATTF cadres would be fulfilled by the government. He said that after the BJP government came to power in Tripura in 2018, all social parameters of the state improved. "Tripura is in the second position in the northeast region in GDP after Assam. The state is in the second position in the region in per capita income after Sikkim. The huge untapped natural resources and vast environmental beauty of Tripura are a treasure, and the state government has been trying to effectively put them to use for the state,' the Chief Minister said. He said that the empowerment of women and all-round development of the tribals are the priority of the government, while development in the education and health sectors are also thrust areas of the government. CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, claimed that Tripura is the third-best state in the country in maintaining law and order situation. "Compared to 2023, during 2024, crime rate declined by 19.4 per cent. To curb the cyber crimes in Tripura, a state-level Cyber Crime Police Station was inaugurated on Saturday at Arundhutinagar Nagar on the outskirts of Agartala,' the Chief Minister said.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
WHO says all Covid-19 origin theories still open, after inconclusive study
All hypotheses on how the Covid-19 pandemic began remain open, the World Health Organization said June 27, 2025, following an inconclusive four-year investigation that was hamstrung by crucial information being withheld. The global catastrophe killed an estimated 20 million people, according to the WHO, while shredding economies, crippling health systems and turning people's lives upside-down. The first cases were detected in Wuhan in China in late 2019, and understanding where the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid came from is key to preventing future pandemics. However, a lengthy investigation launched by the UN's health agency said that pending further data, the origin of Covid and how it first spread remains elusive. "As things stand, all hypotheses must remain on the table, including zoonotic spillover and lab leak," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference, referring to the two main hypotheses as to how the pandemic began. Expert investigation An initial WHO-Chinese joint report in March 2021 concluded that the virus most likely jumped from bats to humans via an intermediate animal. It deemed a leak from Wuhan's virology laboratories -- known for their research on coronaviruses -- to be "extremely unlikely". However, that investigation faced harsh criticism for lacking transparency and access, and for not seriously evaluating the lab-leak theory. Tedros launched another investigation, setting up the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), comprising 27 international experts, in July 2021. Their 78-page report was published on Friday. It said the weight of available evidence suggests a spillover from animals -- either directly from bats, or through an intermediate host. However, it could not conclude with certainty where and when this happened, nor whether the Wuhan wet market was where the virus first spilled over into humans. That said, the market "appears to be the location for amplification of infection in humans", leading to widespread transmission. "Evidence for widespread infections or cases in any other countries prior to December 2019 is lacking," it added. While spillover was the best supported theory on the evidence currently available, "until further requests for information are met, or more scientific data becomes available, the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it entered the human population will remain inconclusive," SAGO chair Marietjie Venter said at the press conference. Lab leak theories "could not be investigated or excluded", she said, because much of the needed information had not been made available. The experts requested unpublished information from other countries, notably Germany and the United States, but without success, she said. Earlier this week, one SAGO member resigned and three others asked for their names to be removed from the report. Crucial question "Over the past five years, we have learned a lot about Covid-19 but there is one crucial question about the pandemic that we have not yet answered: how it started," Tedros said. "Despite our repeated requests, China hasn't provided hundreds of viral sequences from individuals with Covid-19 early in the pandemic, more detailed information on animals sold at markets in Wuhan, and information on work done and biosafety conditions at laboratories in Wuhan," he said. He said WHO has requested access to intelligence reports by governments around the world on the origins of Covid-19. US President Donald Trump's administration has officially embraced the lab leak theory. Moral imperative Tedros said finding out how Covid-19 started was a moral imperative for those who lost their lives in the pandemic and to prevent further outbreaks. He said the virus was continuing to evolve, take lives and leave people suffering with post-Covid conditions, or so-called long Covid. Tedros said the WHO is appealing to countries with information about the origins of Covid-19 to share information. SAGO said it would continue to evaluate any new, sound scientific evidence and update its findings accordingly.
United News of India
6 hours ago
- United News of India
Mann Ki Baat: PM highlights public health gains, grassroots change, dwells on Emergency anniversary
New Delhi, June 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today highlighted India's public health milestones, growing grassroots participation and women-led development efforts, while reflecting upon the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. In the 123rd edition of his monthly talk show Mann ki Baat, PM Modi recalled the nationwide enthusiasm surrounding the 10th International Yoga Day, observed on June 21. He noted in detail the wide-scale participation across the country and abroad, with the headline events in Visakhapatnam witnessing three lakh people perform yoga, and 2,000 tribal students conducting 108 Surya Namaskars. Similar events were held in Telangana (featuring 3,000 Divyang participants), on the Chenab Bridge in J&K, aboard Indian Naval ships, and in cities across the world including New York and Paris, Modi said while stressing that 'this time the theme was also very special, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'. This is not just a slogan; it is a direction which makes us realize the essence of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. I am sure, the grandeur of this year's Yoga Day will certainly inspire more and more people to adopt yoga.' He lauded the World Health Organisation's recent declaration of India as Trachoma-free, attributing the achievement to improved sanitation and access to clean drinking water under initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Jal Jeevan Mission. He also cited an ILO (International Labour Organisation) report which states that over 64% of India's population now benefits from some form of social protection, up from fewer than 25 crore beneficiaries in 2015. Nearly 95 crore people are now covered by welfare schemes — a figure the PM described as indicative of saturation-based governance. Referring to women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Telangana, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the Prime Minister commended grassroots entrepreneurship and health awareness efforts, such as millet-based products and low-cost sanitary pads. Marking 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency (1975–77), Modi played archival audio clips of former PM Morarji Desai, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, describing the period as one of repression. He recalled the suspension of civil liberties, arrests under MISA, media censorship and judicial curbs, and lauded the people's resistance that led to the restoration of democracy. 'We countrymen have observed the 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'. We should always remember all those people who fought the Emergency with fortitude. This inspires us to remain constantly vigilant to keep our Constitution strong and enduring,' he added. Other segments highlighted the Bodoland CEM Football Cup in Assam as he talked about footballers like Halicharan Narzary and Durga Boro who were mentioned as symbols of youth aspiration and transformation in a region once marked by conflict. Referring to young footballers from Bodoland who have risen to national prominence despite limited resources, the PM noted that their journeys were marked by perseverance and resilience. 'Many of them practised with limited resources; many forged their way through difficult circumstances, and today many young children of the country kickstart their dreams, inspired by their names,' he said. Emphasising the importance of fitness and well-being, Modi reiterated one of his earlier suggestions for tackling rising obesity by reducing oil consumption by 10% in daily diets. 'When you're fit, you will be more super hit in life,' he remarked, highlighting concerns over lifestyle-related health issues. The PM also touched upon the spiritual and community dimensions of religious yatras, referring to the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Amarnath Yatra from July 3, and the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, all of which he framed as symbols of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'. Reflecting on the overwhelming response in Vietnam to the display of Buddha's sacred relics from Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), which drew 1.5 crore visitors across nine locations, he described it as an example of India's cultural and spiritual diplomacy, and urged citizens to visit Buddhist heritage sites within the country. Praising environmental efforts across India from Gujarat to Maharashtra, the PM mentioned Pune's Ramesh Kharmale, who spends weekends planting trees and digging trenches on the Junnar hills. He also referred to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's 'Mission for Million Trees', including a 'Sindoor Van' to honour martyrs of Operation Sindoor. In Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district's Patoda village, a Carbon neutral panchayat with zero littering, wastewater treatment, and eco-friendly cremation practices also found mention in the PM's radio speech with listeners being urged to join campaigns like 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', which promotes tree plantation in a parent's name. Modi noted that July 1 marks Doctors' Day and Chartered Accountants' Day, hailing doctors as guardians of health and CAs as stewards of India's economic life. UNI AJ SSP
