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Eye Care

Eye care is a global health issue that holds significant impact on people's lives, yet it has the potential for vast improvement given the proper resources and commitment. While the most common eye care problems are low visual acuity and disorders such as cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, several other issues such as ocular infections and childhood blindness also need to be addressed. As with many global health problems, there is a strong link between poor eye health and poverty or lack of education. While encouraging measures such as Vision 2020 are significantly improving eye health, much more still needs to be done to address this critical, yet relatively easily, health issue.

Major Eye Care Problems

It is estimated that there are 259 million people with visual impairment worldwide, including people with refractive error. Of this number, 42 million people are blind, while 217 million have less severe visual impairment. Uncorrected refractive error from problems such as myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness) is the major cause of visual impairment worldwide, but can be addressed through measures as simple as prescription eyeglasses. Aside from refractive error, several common eye disorders significantly contribute to visual impairment. Cataract is responsible for approximately half of all blindness worldwide; fortunately, surgery and implantation of a synthetic lens can correct the problem and restore proper visual function to millions. Much of blindness is caused by chronic disorders such as glaucoma (12 percent), diabetic retinopathy (5 percent), and age-related macular degeneration (9 percent), all of which progress slowly and thus difficult to notice. Because these disorders damage nerve cells of the retina, their detrimental effects on vision are largely irreversible. Infectious eye diseases such as trachoma (4 percent) and onchocerciasis (1 percent) used to be major causes of blindness but are now more controlled thanks to coordinated international efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners. Childhood blindness due to disorders such as amblyopia and congenital (birth) defects affects 1.4 million children worldwide and comprises nearly 4 percent of worldwide blindness. However, because nearly half these cases can be prevented or treated through known measures, there is huge potential for improvement in this area.

Visual impairment undoubtedly harms people's lives through many ways, the most obvious of which is loss of productivity. Even when taking into account the success of the Vision 2020 initiative, unaccommodated blindness alone is responsible for a $44 billion productivity loss every year. The blind and visually impaired face much greater susceptibility to accidents and death, especially in the poorest of nations. Stigma, isolation, and inability to lead normal lives are unquantifiable, yet significant, detriments to quality of life.

Risk Factors

There is an undeniable link between poverty and poor eye care. Over 90 percent of the world's blind live in developing countries. Africa is home to 18 percent of the world's blind, while southeast Asia and the western Pacific region are home to 32 percent and 25 percent of global blindness, respectively. Old age is the biggest risk factor for visual impairment; over 82 percent of the world's blind are over age 50. With current trends of increasing longevity, the prevalence of age-associated disorders such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration is expected to increase even more in coming years. Social and environmental conditions such as malnutrition, poor hygiene or sanitation, lack of access to early treatment, and lack of knowledge regarding eye care are all major contributors to blindness and visual impairment.

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