We continue to make progress in increasing access to eye care. But even so, millions of people around the world have lost their sight from preventable or treatable causes.
1.1 billion
people have vision loss
90%
of people with vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries
1.7 billion
people will have vision loss by 2050 unless there is significant investment in vision care
Elisa, age nine, receives eye care at an Orbis vision center in the La Libertad Region of northern Peru.
Why Are Vision Loss & Blindness Increasing so Fast?
The world’s population continues to grow, with the fastest growth occurring in low- and middle-income countries. This means there are simply more people on earth who need eye care, and an increasing percentage of them are in countries without strong and sustainable eye care systems.
People are living longer, and eyes tend to lose strength and experience problems with age. An aging world population means more cases of eye conditions like cataracts, with 73% of vision loss around the world occurring in people over age 50.
Lifestyle changes, such as diets high in processed foods and increased screentime, are driving upticks in conditions like diabetic retinopathy and myopia (near-sightedness).
We can slow down or reverse these trends if we continue to invest in eye care globally.
Investing in Eye Care Is Visionary
Vision can enhance how people learn, work, navigate their environments, and enjoy life. Much of the sight loss in low- and middle-income countries is completely avoidable, which means that investing in eye care can help individuals improve their quality of life.
These numbers highlight why eliminating avoidable blindness and vision loss is one of the most cost-effective ways to fight poverty.
USD$1
invested in eye care in low and middle-income countries = USD$4 in economic gains
USD$1
spent on refractive error or cataract correction in low- and middle-income countries = $36 in societal benefit
We Can See a Bright Future
While this is a hopeful situation, there is not enough access to eye care for those in need across the globe. Addressing that problem involves training medical professionals, advancing the use of technology in eye care, increasing access to treatment and prevention services, and teaming up with a range of partners to make our work a success.
All our efforts aim to ensure that fewer and fewer people lose their sight from preventable or treatable causes. It is our pride and pleasure to ensure people around the world can access the sight-saving care they need to thrive, to train eye health teams to care for their communities, and to help build strong and sustainable eye care systems around the globe.
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