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Millions of people all over the world wear corrective spectacles. Chances are that you do, or will have to in the future for reading and close work. But what if you couldn't get access to them, due to the cost or the lack of trained opticians who can determine the level of correction you need?
For over one billion people in the developing world, glasses are a distant dream. Access to eyecare is almost non-existent in sub-Saharan Africa, and highly restricted in other parts of the developing world. It is beyond the reach of hundreds of millions of the world's growing urban poor.
A lack of proper eyesight has direct effects for those affected by it; a reduction in productivity at work, a closing-off of new opportunities, a reduction in quality of life, a possible deterioration in general health and possibly preventable blindness.
We want to end this. SEE WHAT WE DO TO HELP →
Global Issue
The scale of the problem is massive - the World Health Organization has pinpointed refractive error (the technical term for improperly corrected vision) as the number one cause of low vision in the world today, and the second greatest cause of preventable blindness after cataracts. Estimates place the number of people who need vision correction (or will need it in the future) and lack it at well over one billion.
The problem is set to get worse, as epidemiological studies have determined that refractive error is on the rise as the populations of developing nations become more urban. Increasing life expectancy will also cause an increase in the number of people who will suffer from presbyopia - the inability to focus on close objects, requiring reading glasses.
Using the World Health Organization's recommended measure of a health issue's effect (the Disability Adjusted Life Year), refractive error will rise into the top 10 global health issues affecting productivity and opportunities by 2030, passing HIV/AIDS in its global burden.
The greatest barrier to effective treatment is a lack of trained optometrists - many developing nations have as few as one optometrist for every million people (the figure in the UK is around 1 per 8000). A lack of dedicated facilities and equipment also limits access to eyecare. Compounding this issue, the cost of traditional eyewear is prohibitive for the many people surviving on less than a dollar per day.
Current methods of solving this issue have proven ineffective - a new approach must be found. FIND OUT ABOUT OUR WORK →
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