Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Cataract Patients
Posted On:
07 APR 2017 1:17PM by PIB Delhi
As per the National Survey 2006-07 conducted under the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there were around 12 million blind persons (Visual Acuity<6/60) including blindness due to Cataract in the Country. A statement showing estimated number of blind persons in the country, State/UT-wise, due to various eye diseases including Cataract is given below:
Estimated Blind Persons in India-2006-07
|
|
|
S.No.
|
State/UTs
|
Prevalence of Blindness (Survey 2001-02)
|
Estimated Blind Persons (Visual Acuity <6/60)
|
Estimated blind persons due to cataract (62.6% of total blindness)
|
|
1
|
ANDAMAN & NICOBAR
|
1.10
|
3919
|
2453
|
|
2
|
ANDHRA PRADESH
|
1.42
|
1075331
|
673157
|
|
3
|
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
|
2.28
|
24877
|
15573
|
|
4
|
ASSAM
|
3.05
|
812471
|
508607
|
|
5
|
BIHAR
|
0.78
|
646455
|
404681
|
|
6
|
CHANDIGARH
|
1.01
|
9099
|
5696
|
|
7
|
CHHATISGARH
|
1.61
|
334815
|
209594
|
|
8
|
DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI
|
1.07
|
2359
|
1477
|
|
9
|
DAMAN & DIU
|
1.07
|
1691
|
1059
|
|
10
|
DELHI
|
1.13
|
155748
|
97498
|
|
11
|
GOA
|
1.52
|
20429
|
12788
|
|
12
|
GUJARAT
|
1.07
|
541388
|
338909
|
|
13
|
HARYANA
|
1.89
|
398468
|
249441
|
|
14
|
HIMACHAL PRADESH
|
0.70
|
42541
|
26631
|
|
15
|
JAMMU & KASHMIR
|
1.61
|
162126
|
101491
|
|
16
|
JHARKHAND
|
1.41
|
379423
|
237519
|
|
17
|
KARNATAKA
|
1.78
|
938664
|
587604
|
|
18
|
KERALA
|
0.56
|
178296
|
111613
|
|
19
|
LAKSHADWEEP
|
1.10
|
667
|
417
|
|
20
|
MADHYA PRADESH
|
1.16
|
700467
|
438493
|
|
21
|
MAHARASHTRA
|
0.95
|
919146
|
575386
|
|
22
|
MANIPUR
|
1.38
|
32963
|
20635
|
|
23
|
MEGHALAYA
|
0.74
|
17065
|
10683
|
|
24
|
MIZORAM
|
0.78
|
6950
|
4351
|
|
25
|
NAGALAND
|
1.05
|
20881
|
13071
|
|
26
|
ODISHA
|
1.40
|
513897
|
321699
|
|
27
|
PONDICHERRY
|
0.78
|
7596
|
4755
|
|
28
|
PUNJAB
|
1.01
|
245322
|
153572
|
|
29
|
RAJASTHAN
|
1.55
|
875333
|
547959
|
|
30
|
SIKKIM
|
0.65
|
3513
|
2199
|
|
31
|
TAMIL NADU
|
0.78
|
484465
|
303275
|
|
32
|
TRIPURA
|
0.77
|
24572
|
|
|
33
|
UTTAR PRADESH
|
0.94
|
1560897
|
977121
|
|
34
|
UTTARAKHAND
|
0.56
|
47486
|
29726
|
|
35
|
WEST BENGAL
|
1.19
|
954632
|
597600
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
1.10
|
12143952
|
7586732
|
|
The number of cataract cases would be many times higher as this is the estimate of cataract cases in blind persons.
|
|
In the pattern of assistance approved by the Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a target of 330 lakh cataract surgeries with an annual target 66 lakh cataract surgeries was fixed under NPCB during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017). A statement showing annual targets for cataract surgeries, State/UT-wise, in the year 2016-17 is given below:
Target for Cataract surgery-2016-17
|
States/UTs
|
Cataract Operations
|
Major States
|
Target
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
327688
|
Bihar
|
421309
|
Chattisgarh
|
168565
|
Goa
|
9621
|
Gujarat
|
399632
|
Haryana
|
167330
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
27769
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
82331
|
Jharkhand
|
217577
|
Karnataka
|
404563
|
Kerala
|
136120
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
480244
|
Maharashtra
|
456011
|
Orissa
|
276853
|
Punjab
|
183948
|
Rajasthan
|
453999
|
Tamil Nadu
|
293063
|
Telangana
|
231105
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
808305
|
Uttarakhand
|
40973
|
West Bengal
|
603995
|
North Eastern States
|
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
9125
|
Assam
|
205717
|
Manipur
|
17964
|
Meghalaya
|
12004
|
Mizoram
|
4419
|
Nagaland
|
13072
|
Sikkim
|
2461
|
Tripura
|
14868
|
UTs
|
|
A &N Nicobar Islands
|
2508
|
Chandigarh
|
6961
|
D&N Haveli
|
2263
|
Daman & Diu
|
1603
|
Delhi
|
110571
|
Lakshdweep
|
425
|
Puducherry
|
5040
|
Grand Total
|
6600000
|
Cataract is mainly an age related diseases, which can be controlled by adopting appropriate measures and surgical procedures. Due to increase in population and life expectancy, the number of new cases of Cataract is likely to increase.
However, NPCB in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is committed to reduce the burden of avoidable blindness in the country including blindness due to cataract to 0.3% by the year 2020 by adopting the following strategies:.
· Decentralized implementation of NPCB through State/District Health Societies for close monitoring and supervision;
· Reduction in the backlog of blind persons by active screening of population above 50 years, organizing eye screening camps and transporting operable cases to fixed eye-care facilities for operation/treatment;
· Involvement of private practitioners in eye care services;
· In-service training to eye surgeons in various fields of ophthalmology to refresh and develop clinical and surgical skills including Cataract;
· Strengthening/developing of eye-care infrastructure at various levels to improve quantity and quality of eye-care services;
· Provision for setting up Multipurpose District Mobile ophthalmic Units in District Hospitals to improve coverage area.
The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), SmtAnupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the LokSabha here today.
*****
MV/LK
(Release ID: 1487112)
Visitor Counter : 296