Eye care is one of the greatest public health challenges for the 21st century.
An estimated 43 million people worldwide suffer from blindness - 80% of this burden is treatable or preventable. According to the World Health Organization, cataracts affect approximately 65.2 million people and account for almost half of all blindness. For millions of people, HCP can improve their quality of life by restoring or retaining sight.
Unfortunately, 90% of people suffering from vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries where a solution isn’t available. HCP primarily works in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where people experience the highest rates of vision loss and blindness.
55% of the world’s blind are women and 90% of women who are blind are living in poverty. Overall, women are 12% more likely to have vision loss than men.
According to the 2021 UN Resolution on Vision, eye care is instrumental in achieving their Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) particularly: