View: Why India needs an 'eyeglasses to all' mission
A mission to provide eyeglasses can pave the way for large-scale manufacturing and raise productivity.
Today, poor vision, due to lack of access to eyeglasses, is easily the largest unaddressed disability in the world. In India alone, 550 million individuals are estimated to suffer this fate. Given that eyeglasses cost as little as Rs 200, correction of refractive error through eyeglasses constitutes the health intervention with the largest bang for the buck.
The commonest eye problems result from refractive error due to which eye is unable to focus clearly on an object. The result is hyperopia, presbyopia, myopia or astigmatism.
Loosely speaking, these conditions are about the inability to see objects clearly up close (hyperopia and presbyopia), far away (myopia) or both (astigmatism). The commonest condition is presbyopia, which is age-related and affects a majority aged 35 & above.
Loosely speaking, these conditions are about the inability to see objects clearly up close (hyperopia and presbyopia), far away (myopia) or both (astigmatism). The commonest condition is presbyopia, which is age-related and affects a majority aged 35 & above.