India, a nation known for its resilience and progress, is burdened by a preventable blindness crisis. More than 85% of its blind citizens could have seen the light if early action had been taken. “Nearly 85 per cent of blindness in the world is avoidable, which can be prevented or treated,” said Dr Rajesh Sinha, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, AIIMS New Delhi. The expert called for the need to raise awareness among the population so that the majority of people in society who may become blind due to ignorance retain their sight for life. “Ocular causes of preventable blindness can be infections, vitamin A deficiency, while causes of treatable blindness can be cataracts, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy,” Sinha said.
Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness in India
According to the National Survey on Blindness and Visual Impairment, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, accounting for 66.2 percent of all blindness cases in India. Uncorrected refractive errors represent 18.6 percent and glaucoma 6.7 percent. Other causes of blindness and vision problems include corneal opacities (0.9 percent), childhood blindness (1.7 percent), and diabetic retinopathy (3.3 percent).
“It is important to raise awareness about preventable blindness because more than 85 per cent of blindness can be prevented if people know how to address it,” said Dr Ikeda Lal, senior specialist in cornea, cataract and refractory surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. . New Delhi.
Common reasons for blindness in India include cataracts, 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. Experts advocated the need for early screening to detect eye problems and prevent vision loss.
Source-IANS
