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National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment
Anatomy
1. National Programme for Control of
Exam pearl
- Think of blindness prevention as a public health pyramid. At the apex are rare, complex causes requiring tertiary surgical expertise. At the base - cataract, refractive error, corneal blindness - affecting millions. NPCB&VI; is the structural scaffolding built around this pyramid: it funds the base, trains the workforce, equips the infrastructure, and monitors outcomes. Without this programme, the pyramid collapses under the sheer epidemiological weight of India's blind population. Understanding NPCB&VI; is not merely a public health exercise - it is understanding how ophthalmology functions as a social science in a resource-limited, high-burden nation.
2. Blindness & Visual Impairment
Historical Timeline of the Programme
Exam pearl
- National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) · Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) Survey · Vision 2020: The Right to Sight · India's Progress
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1976 | National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) launched • 5th Five Year Plan |
| 1999 2004 | • Vision 2020: The Right to Sight global initiative formally launched • Vision 2020: The Right to Sight–India formally launched |
| 1994–95 2002–03 | • Programme decentralization began through District Blindness Control Societies • Intraocular lens (IOL) implantation exceeded 75% of cataract surgeries |
| 2005 | National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) included under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) framework |
| 2017 | Renamed National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) • To include Visual Impairment beyond blindness alone |
| 2018–19 onward | • National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) funding under the National Health Mission (NHM) Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases • Preventive and curative eye-care services provided through Ayushman Bharat–Health and Wellness Centres |
| 2019 | World Health Organization (WHO) World Report on Vision released • Post-2020 global framework |
| 2020 | World Health Assembly resolution WHA73.4 urged Member States to implement integrated people-centred eye care in health systems |
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1976 | National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) launched • 5th Five Year Plan |
| 1999 2004 | • Vision 2020: The Right to Sight global initiative formally launched • Vision 2020: The Right to Sight–India formally launched |
| 1994–95 2002–03 | • Programme decentralization began through District Blindness Control Societies • Intraocular lens (IOL) implantation exceeded 75% of cataract surgeries |
| 2005 | National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) included under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) framework |
| 2017 | Renamed National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) • To include Visual Impairment beyond blindness alone |
| 2018–19 onward | • National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) funding under the National Health Mission (NHM) Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases • Preventive and curative eye-care services provided through Ayushman Bharat–Health and Wellness Centres |
| 2019 | World Health Organization (WHO) World Report on Vision released • Post-2020 global framework |
| 2020 | World Health Assembly resolution WHA73.4 urged Member States to implement integrated people-centred eye care in health systems |
- Significance of 2017 renaming: The nomenclature of the programme was changed from National Programme for Control of Blindness to National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI) in 2017.
- Definitions Used in National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCB&VI)
- Postgraduate Ophthalmology Examination Review
- The programme adopts World Health Organization (WHO)-based definitions of visual impairment and blindness. These definitions are tested frequently in theory and viva examinations.
- Public Health Ophthalmology · National Health Mission
Based on NPCB&VI Guidelines · RAAB 2015–2019 · WHO Vision 2020
| Category | Presenting visual acuity (Better Eye) | Programmatic Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Vision | ≥ 6/12 | • Assessment and care as indicated |
| Moderate Visual Impairment | < 6/18 to ≥ 6/60 | • Cause-specific assessment and management |
| Severe Visual Impairment | < 6/60 to ≥ 3/60 | • Cause-specific assessment and management |
| Blindness (World Health Organization [WHO]) | < 3/60 or visual field < 10° | • Blindness category |
| Blindness (earlier National Programme for Control of Blindness [NPCB] definition) | < 6/60 in better eye | • Used by National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) before 2017 revision |
| Category | Presenting visual acuity (Better Eye) | Programmatic Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Vision | ≥ 6/12 | • Assessment and care as indicated |
| Moderate Visual Impairment | < 6/18 to ≥ 6/60 | • Cause-specific assessment and management |
| Severe Visual Impairment | < 6/60 to ≥ 3/60 | • Cause-specific assessment and management |
| Blindness (World Health Organization [WHO]) | < 3/60 or visual field < 10° | • Blindness category |
| Blindness (earlier National Programme for Control of Blindness [NPCB] definition) | < 6/60 in better eye | • Used by National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) before 2017 revision |
Oral-exam question
Which blindness definition is used in Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) surveys versus older National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) surveys?
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Prevalence of blindness (≥50 years, Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) 2015–19) | ~1.99% of population ≥50 years |
| Prevalence of visual impairment (< 6/18, all ages, 2015–19) | ~2.55% |
| Estimated blind persons in India (2019) | ~4.95 million |
| India's share of global blindness (2010) | ~20.5% |
| Global blind population (2020) | ~43.3 million |
| Globally moderate and severe visual impairment (< 6/18 to 3/60) | ~295 million |
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Prevalence of blindness (≥50 years, Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) 2015–19) | ~1.99% of population ≥50 years |
| Prevalence of visual impairment (< 6/18, all ages, 2015–19) | ~2.55% |
| Estimated blind persons in India (2019) | ~4.95 million |
| India's share of global blindness (2010) | ~20.5% |
| Global blind population (2020) | ~43.3 million |
| Globally moderate and severe visual impairment (< 6/18 to 3/60) | ~295 million |
- India's disproportionate share of 20–25% of global blindness relative to its ~18% of world population underscores the severity of the problem.
- The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness methodology targets persons aged ≥50 years - the highest-risk group for cataract and other age-related causes.
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Keep reading National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment
11 more sections are included with the Clinical plan.
- Causes of Blindness in India - Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness Survey
- Service Delivery Strategies
- Definition of Avoidable Blindness
- Objectives of NPCB&VI
- Programme Targets
- Strategies of NPCB&VI