India Post issued this stamp on 7th April 1976 in honour of the 1976 theme of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Health Day campaign: "Foresight Prevents Blindness".

The 1976 campaign placed emphasis on the preventative measures for people living with vision impairment. The theme was chosen against the background that, in 1976, the 2/3 of the people living with vision impairment among the world’s developing countries were estimated to be cured, should they receive adequate treatment.

In 1976, the Government of India launched the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), one of the first national-level initiatives in the world aimed specifically at addressing avoidable blindness. Recognising the significant burden of visual impairment, the programme set a bold target: to reduce the prevalence of blindness from 1.4% in 1974 to 0.3% by the year 2020.

To achieve this, the NPCB adopted a multi-pronged strategy, which included several cataract surgery campaigns, expansion of ophthalmic services to underserved rural and urban areas, regular school eye screening programmes to detect early vision problems among children, and integration of eye care services into the public health system. In 2017, the programme was renamed the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) to reflect its expanded focus beyond blindness to include moderate and severe visual impairment.

According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey (2015–2019) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Dr. R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (AIIMS Delhi), India’s prevalence of blindness had declined to approximately 0.36% by 2019. This achievement was made possible through decades of concerted public health efforts, improved access to affordable eye care, and the mobilisation of resources across sectors.

Globally, however, the need for continued investment in eye health remains critical. As of 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 2.2 billion people live with some form of vision impairment, with a substantial proportion still lacking access to necessary treatment. India’s early leadership in this domain, marked by the 1976 campaign and NPCB launch, continues to inspire efforts towards universal eye health and inclusive development.