The Union Government is planning to launch two national health missions within 2005 targeting cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes. Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Minister for health and family welfare who was at Hyderabad on Thursday to inaugurate three-day World Sight Day Celebrations, said, cardiac problems and diabetes can pose a major threat in the coming years.

The Government is targeting to bring down the incidence rate of blindness to 0.8 per cent by 2007 from the present 1.1 per cent. It will be further reduced to 0.5 per cent by 2010 and 0.3 per cent by 2015. There is a shortfall of 80,000 corneas every year, he said.

The Centre is working on a comprehensive health insurance scheme in the country, as only one per cent of the population has access to such schemes, while eight per cent have access to other forms of insurance.

He added, India would try to eliminate leprosy by the end of 2005 and become polio-free by next year.