Regarding the history of blindness control in India, which statement is correct?
- A The National Programme for Control of Blindness was launched in 1976, making India one of the first countries to have such a dedicated national programme ✓
- B The National Programme for Control of Blindness was launched in 1985 as part of the Universal Immunization Programme
- C The programme began as a WHO vertical project in 1992 and was later absorbed into the National Health Mission
- D The programme was launched in 2004 following the end of the VISION 2020 planning phase
Correct answer: A. The National Programme for Control of Blindness was launched in 1976, making India one of the first countries to have such a dedicated national programme
Explanation
The National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) was launched in 1976 as a 100 percent centrally sponsored scheme, and India was among the first countries in the world to launch a dedicated national blindness control programme. It was merged with the National Health Mission framework much later, and the 2017 revision only renamed it to include visual impairment. The other dates do not correspond to any milestone of this programme.
Reference: Khurana Comprehensive Ophthalmology, 7th ed.
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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.