Authors: Dr. RAKESH GUPTA (President), MUSKAN (Intern), Strategic Institute of Public Health Education and Research (SIPHER), Department of Public Health, Chandigarh, India, Blindness continues to be a pressing global health concern, projected to affect 46.25 million people by 2025, up from 43.3 million in 2020. The burden is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where access to eye care is limited.
Cataracts account for 45% of all blindness cases, followed by diabetic retinopathy and AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Women and rural populations are disproportionately affected, with women comprising 56% of cases and rural residents facing a 2.5× higher risk than urban counterparts. To address this silent epidemic, the study recommends scaling up cataract surgeries, expanding primary eye care, and improving equity in…
