Detail

`The Worle Health Day, 7th of April each year, is an annual event observed all over the world in commemoration of the coming into force of the Constitution of the World Health Organization. Every year for this day the WHO selects a theme signifying the importance of the health of mankind to arouse the interest of the public. The theme for 1976 is ``Foresight Prevents Blindness``. Today in the world there are at least 10 million people who are totally blind and millions more whose sight is so defective that they should also be regarded as blind. These numbers are increasing year by year and will bouble in the next 25 years unless any action in taken to curb the trend. In all the developing countries, not to mention the advanced ones, the blindness of two­thirds of the sightless persons is considered as preventabl or curable. Prevention is important everywhere it is all the more so in developing countries where, due to lack of adequate health facilities, only a few of the blind can be cured of this preventable or curable disease. Many countries have already launched extensive campaigns for the prevention of blindness and many more are expected to join them. On the occasion of the World Health Day this year, the Ministry of Communications is issuing this commemorative postage stamp in order to help the public realize anew the importance of health and to publicize widely the true meaning of this year`s catch phrase ``Foresight Prevents Blindness``.`