Eye health

What if we were to tell you that nearly half of them could have been prevented from going blind by receiving timely treatment? But poverty –  both a cause and effect of blindness – can be very hard to break out of, especially in the rural areas.

Promoting eye health in India
Preventing avoidable blindness increases access to education, employment and prosperity, and enables greater participation in civil and social life. Below are some of the eye conditions we help overcome to promote eye health and restore sight.

Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens – the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and producing clear, sharp images. It is the leading cause of blindness in India.

The lens of the human eye is made up mainly of water and protein. Over time, protein can build up to cloud the light passing through the eye, and result in blurred or fuzzy vision. For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging.

Cataracts often develop in both eyes at the same time. The symptoms vary, but include a gradual blurring of vision, halos around lights, glare and double vision. The worst type of cataracts – where the iris appears almost entirely clouded over – can cause a total loss of vision.

Although cataracts cannot be prevented, they are relatively easy to cure. A cataract operation takes as little as 20 minutes.

Causes of cataract

There is no single cause of cataract. A number of risk factors seem to have an impact. While some risks can be reduced through a change in lifestyle, others may not.

The solution

Sightsavers India works with local partners in communities to:

• Screen and refer people in need of cataract treatment
• Facilitate cataract surgery, transport and follow up care
• Train new eye-care personnel
• Improve service standards

Refractive errors cover eye disorders caused by an irregularity in the eye’s shape.

Such a condition makes it difficult for the eye to focus clearly on images, resulting in blurred and impaired vision. It is the second leading cause of blindness in India (after cataract), and according to the World Health Organization, 153 million people worldwide live with visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors.

Glaucoma describes a group of eye conditions and is usually caused when the eye’s drainage tubes block, causing pressure which can damage the optic nerve.

It’s treatable but it needs to be detected as early as possible, because any damage already caused to the eyesight is irreversible. It is another leading cause of blindness in India.

The solution

Sightsavers India supports local partners to screen, refer and treat people with low vision and diabetic retinopathy.