India, a nation known for its resilience and progress, is burdened by a preventable blindness crisis. Over 85% of its blind citizens could have seen the light if early measures had been taken.

“Nearly 85 percent of blindness in the world is avoidable which can either be preventable or treatable,” Dr. Rajesh Sinha, Professor, Dept. of Ophthalmology, AIIMS New Delhi said.

The expert called the need for public awareness so that a majority of people in the society who may become blind due to ignorance maintain their sight for life. “Ocular causes of preventable blindness can be infections, vitamin A deficiency while causes of treatable blindness can be cataract, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy,” Sinha said.

Cataracts Remain the Primary Cause of Blindness in India

According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, cataract is the leading cause of blindness, accounting for 66.2 percent of all cases of blindness in India. Uncorrected refractive errors account for 18.6 percent, and glaucoma for 6.7 percent. Other causes of blindness and vision impairment include corneal opacities (0.9 percent), childhood blindness (1.7 percent), and diabetic retinopathy (3.3 percent).

“It is important to spread awareness around preventable blindness because more than 85 percent of the blindness is preventable if only people know how to address them,” said Dr. Ikeda Lal, Senior Cornea, Cataract and Refractory Surgery Specialist, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital New Delhi.

The common reasons for blindness in India include cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, uncorrected refractive error, and corneal blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is another very important reason for blindness in India, especially considering the high prevalence of diabetes in the country, Lal said. The experts advocated the need for early screenings to detect eye problems and prevent vision loss.

Source-IANS