LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
works to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and promote eye health. We aim to eradicate preventable and treatable eye diseases. Our major goal is to remove the physical, social, cultural and communication barriers that prevent equal access to high-quality eye-care services for all, especially for those living in poverty.
The World Health Organisation estimates that
- About 285 million people worldwide live with serious vision impairment
- Of these, 39 million people are blind and 246 million have moderate to severe visual impairment
- Without effective, major intervention, the number of blind people worldwide will rise to 76 million by 2020
- 75% of blindness is avoidable - i.e. treatable and/or preventable
- 90% of blind people live in low-income countries
- 153 million people simply need eyeglasses to correct refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism)
- Restorations of sight and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care
- Infections that cause blindness are decreasing due to public health interventions and socio-economic development. Blinding trachoma now affects fewer than 80 million people, compared to 360 million in 1985
- But ageing populations and lifestyle changes mean that chronic blinding conditions such as diabetic retinopathy are projected to rise exponentially
- Women face a significantly greater risk of vision loss than men
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