India became the first country of its endemicity band to be officially validated by the World Health Organization as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. This validation was announced in:
- A 2010
- B 2017 ✓
- C 2020
- D 2023
Correct answer: B. 2017
Explanation
The WHO validated India as free from infective trachoma in October 2017, following national survey data showing active trachoma prevalence below the elimination threshold of 5 percent in children aged 1 to 9 years. The achievement followed decades of implementation of the SAFE strategy through the National Programme for Control of Blindness. 2020 and 2023 are incorrect because validation occurred well before those years.
Reference: Khurana's Comprehensive Ophthalmology, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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