Lok Sabha Question No. 2140 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: National Programme for Control of Blindness &amp; Visual Impairment
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Ganesan Selvam, C.N. Annadurai, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Dhanush M Kumar, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Manjulata Mandal, Gautham Sigamani Pon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2140

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2022

## NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR CONTROL OF BLINDNESS AND VISUAL

## IMPAIRMENT

## 2140 DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE

SHRI SELVAM G

SHRMATI SUPRIYA SULE

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE

DR.DNV SENTHILKUMAR. S

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA

SHRIMATI MANJULATA MANDAL

DR.PON GAUTHAM SIGAMANI;

Will the MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whetherthe Government is implementing National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) and if so, the details thereof:
- (b) the challenges faced by the Government in implementation of NPCBVI;
- (c) whether the Government has achieved the target of reducing the prevalence of blindness to 0.3% through NPCBVI,if so, the details thereof and if not, corrective steps taken in this regard;
- (d) whether the Government has made any assessment of the programme; if so the details thereof and the outcome of the assessment;
- (e) the financial support provided for programme during the last three years  and the current year, year- wise and State/UT-wise;
- (f) whether all States/UTs are properly implementing the programme to reduce the prevalence of blindness,if so,the details therof;
- (g) the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to check the rising of cases of blindness in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR.BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (g)  National  Programme for Control of Blindness was strengthened from 2017 onwards and expanded to cover all kinds of visual impairment. It was renamed as National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) and is implemented all over the country to reduce the prevalence of avoidable blindness to 0.25%. Apart from cataract, refractive errors,

corneal blindness and childhood blindness, the programme is focusing on other eye diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), age related macular degeneration etc. associated with life style diseases like diabetes and ageing process. Preventive and curative eye care services are also provided through Ayushman Bharat-Health & Wellness Centres in the country.

COVID pandemic has posed operational challenges for implementing the programme.

In  order  to  assess  the  prevalence  of  blindness,  survey  under  the  National  Blindness  &  Visual Impairment  was  carried  out  during  2015-19  which  showed  reduction  in  the  prevalence  of blindness from 1% (2007) to 0.36% (2019).

Under NPCBVI funds allocated during last three years, State/UT wise is placed at Annexure-I.

The progress report of various activities by the States/UTs under this programme is monitored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on monthly basis. All States/ UTs are implementing the activities of Cataract Surgery, School Eye Screening, Collection of donated Eyes for Corneal Transplantation, Treatment/Management of other eye diseases (Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Childhood Blindness, Keratoplasty etc.)  Training of Eye Surgeons, under the programme.

The programme is monitored at the National level in consultation with the State Government. At States/UTs level to check the rising number of cases of blindness, functionaries from Panchayats, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) staff, ASHA workers, NGO and other voluntary groups like Mahila Mandals, are involved by the District Health Societies.

***

## State/UT wise Approvals under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) under Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases under NHM from F.Y. 2019-20 to 2021-22

| S.No.   | Name of the State/UTs    | 2019-20      |   2020-21 |   Rs. in Lakhs 2021-22 |
|---------|--------------------------|--------------|-----------|------------------------|
| 1       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 13.79        |     26.82 |                  24.78 |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh           | 6022.04      |   6814.5  |                9096.5  |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh        | 596.10       |    457.45 |                 133.7  |
| 4       | Assam                    | 1218.85      |   1384.56 |                 930.15 |
| 5       | Bihar                    | 3504.95      |   4400.08 |                3881.26 |
| 6       | Chandigarh               | 3.50         |      4    |                  42.45 |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh             | 673.00       |   1055.5  |                1502.11 |
| 8       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      | 16.20        |     16.26 |                  15.72 |
| 9       | Daman &Diu               | 10.49 727.70 |    362.8  |                 402.8  |
| 10 11   | Delhi Goa                | 94.90        |    101.9  |                 113.9  |
| 12      | Gujarat                  | 4264.04      |   3860.18 |                4315.72 |
| 13      | Haryana                  | 451.85       |    728.45 |                 871.49 |
| 14      | Himachal Pradesh         | 160.63       |    219.6  |                 170.41 |
| 15      | Jammu &Kashmir           | 484.95       |    449.6  |                 940    |
| 16      | Jharkhand                | 8429.68      |   1745    |                1786    |
| 17      | Karnataka                | 2963.23      |   3127.54 |                3323.43 |
| 18      | Kerala                   | 2200.10      |   1155.55 |                1303.38 |
| 19      | Ladakh                   | -            |      0    |                 143.53 |
| 20      | Lakshadweep              | 18.00        |     31.93 |                  51.26 |
| 21      | Madhya Pradesh           | 5271.55      |   4642.6  |                6400.47 |
| 22      | Maharashtra              | 2016.90      |    802.15 |                 872.03 |
| 23      | Manipur                  | 298.00       |    342.95 |                 452.98 |
| 24      | Meghalaya                | 47.00        |    115.2  |                 200.21 |
| 25      | Mizoram                  | 142.65       |    116.08 |                 144.65 |
| 26      | Nagaland                 | 233.30       |    109.7  |                 127.1  |
| 27      | Odisha                   | 3177.62      |   2262.52 |                2112.13 |
| 28      | Puducherry               | 95.59        |     96.79 |                 197.56 |
| 29      | Punjab                   | 1968.95      |    775.18 |                 825.4  |
| 30      | Rajasthan                | 3836.60      |   3933.05 |                4509.54 |
| 31      | Sikkim                   | 23.40        |     56.25 |                 110.75 |
| 32      | Tamil Nadu               | 6441.35      |   6347.75 |                6312.03 |
| 33      | Telangana                | 1347.00      |   1757.64 |                1125.7  |
| 34      | Tripura                  | 76.00        |    450.75 |                 308.14 |
| 35      | Uttar Pradesh            | 8164.66      |   7190.5  |               12948.9  |
| 36      | Uttarakhand              | 394.62       |    462.83 |                 161.72 |
| 37      | West Bengal              | 2115.70      |   2688.77 |                4607.57 |

Note:

The above information is as per the available Financial Management Report (FMR) submitted by States/UTs and is updated upto 31.03.2022 and is provisional.