There are 4.5 million visually impaired people in the world and in 80% cases blindness was caused by a condition that was completely preventable. Around one third of the world's visually impaired population is in India which makes it important for the country to check its national burden of blindness. A huge contributor to the problem is lack of proper facilities and expertise in rural India.
Cataract remains the single largest cause of preventable blindness across the world, contributing to 62% cases of blindness in India. Another trend that is a cause of concern for experts is the number of people who go blind due to refractive error, unavailability of glasses when needed. If proper care and attention is provided, a majority of these blindness conditions, especially among children, can by avoided completely.
"All the major causes of blindness in the country are preventable. In case of glaucoma and retinopathy, early detection can help to stall or delay the problem, and in some cases even completely avoid them," said Dr AH Madan, head of the ophthalmology department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He added that the uneven distribution of experts, with there not even being a post of ophthalmologist in rural hospitals or the necessary equipment to treat patients, only makes the problem worse.
Source: http://timesofindia.
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