| National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) |
National Programme for Control of Blindness was launched in the year 1976 as a 100% Centrally Sponsored scheme with the goal to reduce the prevalence of blindness from 1.4% to 0.3%. As per Survey in 2001-02, prevalence of blindness is estimated to be 1.1%. Main causes of blindness are as follows: - Cataract (62.6%) Refractive Error (19.70%) Corneal Blindness (0.90%), Glaucoma (5.80%), Surgical Complication (1.20%) Posterior Capsular Opacification (0.90%) Posterior Segment Disorder (4.70%), Others (4.19%) Estimated National Prevalence of Childhood Blindness /Low Vision is 0.80 per thousand.
|
The objectives of the programme are to: - |
• |
Reduce the backlog of blindness through identification and treatment of blind; |
• |
Develop Eye Care facilities in every district, |
• |
Develop human resources for providing Eye Care Services; |
• |
Improve quality of service delivery; |
• |
Secure participation of Voluntary Organizations in eye care. |
|
 |
Budget : Allocation and expenditure is as follows: - |
Year |
Budget Allocated |
Expenditure |
| 2002-03 |
85.00 |
84.62 |
| 2003-04 |
86.00 |
85.62 |
2004-05 |
88.00 |
87.20 |
| 2005-06 |
93.32 |
92.84 |
| 2006-07 |
111.87 |
111.53 |
| 2007-08 |
165.20 |
164.95 |
|
|
Achievement |
(A) Cataract surgery : Performance of Cataract Surgery has been steadily increasing as indicated below: |
Year |
Target |
Achievement |
% IOL |
2002-03 |
4000000 |
3857133 |
77 |
2003-04 |
4000000 |
4200138 |
83 |
2004-05 |
4200000 |
4513667 |
88 |
2005-06 |
4513000 |
4905619 |
90 |
2006-07 |
4500000 |
5040089 |
93 |
2007-08 |
5000000 |
5404406 |
94 |
|
|
| (B) School Eye Screening Programme |
Year |
Teachers Trained |
School Children
Screened |
Children Detected
with Refractive Errors |
Poor Children provided free glasses |
2002-03 |
35267
|
9736805 |
506663 |
98697
|
2003-04 |
88317
|
19260984 |
552963 |
184305
|
2004-05 |
97310
|
26862932 |
572691 |
283070
|
2005-06 |
126163
|
29737168 |
771901 |
385403
|
2006-07 |
203221
|
35429289 |
963168 |
456634
|
2007-08 |
193629
|
27676430 |
1126985 |
512020
|
|
|
| (C)
Donated Eyes Collected |
Year |
Total no. of eyes Collected |
2003-04 |
23741 |
2004-05 |
23553 |
2005-06 |
28007 |
2006-07 |
30007 |
2007-08 |
38596 |
|
Collection and Utilization of donated eyes: In the year 2007-08 we were able to collect nearly thirty eight thousand eye balls . Hospital cornea retrieval programme is the main strategy for collection of donated eyes, which envisages motivation of relatives of terminally ill patients, accident victims and others with grave diseases to donate eyes. Eye donation awareness fortnight is organized from 25 th August to 8 th September every year to promote eye donation/eye banking. Gujarat , Tamilnadu, Maharashtra , Delhi , Chandigarh Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka are leading States in eye collection/cornea retrieval activity. |
|
| (D)
Training of Ophthalmic Surgeons |
Year |
Nos . |
2002-2003
|
176
|
2003-2004 |
229
|
2004-2005 |
350
|
2005-2006 |
250
|
| 2006-2007 |
250
|
2007-2008 |
300 |
|
|
(E) IEC Activities : IEC activities are undertaken at Central, State and District Blindness Control Societies level. Special campaigns for mass awareness are undertaken during Eye Donation fortnight (25 th August to 8 th September) and World Sight Day (2 nd Thursday of October). A innovative strategy for community awareness on eye donation has been initiated by involving not only Eye-banks but also Blood Banks with the popularization of slogan “Jeete Jeete Rakt Daan, Mritue ke Uprant Netra Daan”. At the Central level, prototype IEC material is produced and disseminated to the States. Guidelines and training manuals are also prepared centrally and disseminated. A quarterly newsletter has been started since July 2002. |
|
(F) Support to Voluntary organization : VOs/NGOs play an important role in implementing various activities under the programme. District Blindness Control Societies (DBCS) have been established throughout the country under the Chairmanship of District Collector/Deputy Commissioner. Till date, 604 DBCSs have been established. The Blindness Societies have been merged with Health Societies both at State and District level under National Rural Health Mission [NRHM]. Under the scheme a non-recurring grant a maximum of Rs.25.00 lakhs is granted for expansion/up gradation of Eye Care Units for tribal and backward rural areas. Also Rs. 10 lakh is granted for up gradation of Eye Banks as non-recurring assistance and Rs. 1000 is provided per pair of eyes as recurring assistance for registered eye banks and a sum of Rs. 25,000 is provided for setting up of vision centres. So far [2007], 80 NGOs have been assisted under this scheme with one time non-recurring grant. Till date 45 eye banks in voluntary sector were assisted to promote collection of donated eyes. |
|
New Initiatives proposed under XI th five year [2007-12] plan period: |
• |
Construction of dedicated Eye Wards and Eye Operation theaters in Districts and Sub Districts Hospitals in North-Eastern States, Bihar, Jharkhand, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and few other States as per demand. |
• |
Appointment of Ophthalmic Surgeons and Ophthalmic Assistants in new districts in District Hospitals and Sub District Hospitals. |
• |
Appointment of Ophthalmic Assistants in PHCs/ Vision Centers where there are none (at present ophthalmic assistants are available in block level PHCs only) |
• |
Appointment of Eye Donation Counselors on contract basis in Eye Banks under Government Sector and NGO Sector. |
• |
Grant-in-aid for NGOs for management of other Eye diseases other than Cataract like Diabetic, Retinopathy, Glaucoma Management, Laser Techniques, Corneal Transplantation, Vitreoretinal Surgery, Treatment of childhood blindness etc of Rs. 750 per case for Cataract/IOL Implantation Surgery and Rs.1000 per case of other major Eye Diseases as described above. For North-Eastern States, Hilly and Desert Areas Rs. 850 for Cataract and Rs.1100 for other major Eye Care Management is proposed. |
|
| |
