<p><em>15 million people in India are blind, which is 50 per cent of world's blind population<br><br><strong>By Peyush Bansal</strong></em><br><br>For most of us, it is impossible to imagine life without sight.But do we give enough importance to taking care of our eyes that enable us to enjoy the colours of life?One look at the statistics and it is quite apparent that eye care is at the bottom of the priority list in peoples' minds when it should be one of paramount importance. Consequently, we are confronted with concerning statistic of India housing 40% of the worlds' blind population.<br><br>According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study, globally about 285 million people have visual impairment, including 39 million individuals who are blind and an additional 246 million who have poor vision. The causes of moderate and severe vision impairment worldwide are uncorrected near-sightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. While the global statistics are alarming,India's numbers are shocking with nearly half of all Indiansin dire need of vision correction.<br><br>The root cause for the increase in the numbers of patients with blindness in India is the insufficient mechanism for primary eye care. With eye care featuring in the lowest rung for personal healthcare, the problem is exacerbated by a general lack of awareness and poor access to eye care professionals. While government initiatives like National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB)is a step in the right direction, much still remains to be donein the country towards achieving a better eye care system. To add to the challenge, there are only about 12,000 ophthalmologists in India for its 1 billion-plus population, resulting in a ratio of 1 ophthalmologist for every 90,000 people. While in The United States of America, there is 1 ophthalmologist for every 15,800 people, which is recognized as an adequate ratio.<br><br>There is an urgent need to bridge this void as poor vision can not only impact the personal life of an individual but can also have a telling effect on his or her productivity. According to WHO estimates, globally, poor vision results in an economic productivity loss of $275 billion, with China accounting for the biggest chunk of that at $65 billion. According to another study done among Indian workers, good eye care and vision correction led to an over 30% increase in their incomes and a 25% increase in productivity.<br><br>All thedata and findingspoint towards the impending need of bringing focus on eyewear and encouraging people to get their eyes checked at regular intervals, the absence of which has immediate and long-term consequences such as loss of educational and employment opportunities, loss of economic gain for individuals, families and societies, and an impaired quality of life in general.<br><br>While India is waking up to the need for eye care with the government making policy initiatives at both the state and centre levels, a lot still needs to be done. The entry of several service providers and active participation from NGOs through various initiatives has also slightly assisted in raising the awareness of eye care in India. One such initiative is Vision 2020 that was launched bythe World Health Organisation together with more than 20 international non-governmental organisations that aim to provide technical support and advocacy to prevention of blindness activities worldwide by the year 2020.Another initiative that has seen some success is the Global Action Plan (GAP) which is a commitment endorsed by all WHO Member States to improve eye health for everyone ('Universal Eye Health') by 2018. GAP is now the most important strategic document in eye health. This initiative represents a significant step forward towards achieving 'universal access' to eye health. Approximately 25 VISION 2020 workshops take place every year at local and internationallevels, tackling specific national or regional priorities for the GAP. These workshops help to align GAP's objectives in tandem with the specific region.<br><br>The relevance of eye care cannot be undermined. It has a direct impact on our lives and our happiness. Consequently, there is an urgent need to raise awareness on regular eye check-ups and the necessity of wearing prescribed spectacles on a regular basis. If detected at an early stage, appropriate solutions can be prescribed which will go a long way in reducing the levels of visual impairment in the country. We look forward to support from the government in terms of enabling policies, establishing minimum standards and investing in technologies which will all come together to ensure that more and more Indians will enjoy a full life that is not marred by visual impairment.<br><br><em>The author is founder and CEO of Lenskart</em></p>
