Blindness and Visual Impairment: Global Facts

According to WHO estimates...

Approximately 314 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness
Of these, 45 million people are blind and 269 million have low vision
145 million people's low vision is due to uncorrected refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism). In most of these cases, normal vision could be restored with eyeglasses
Women face a significantly greater risk of vision loss than men: two-thirds of blind people are women & girls
90% of blind people live in low-income countries
YET, 80% of blindness is avoidable - i.e. readily treatable and/or preventable
Restorations of sight, and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care
Infectious causes of blindness are decreasing as a result of public health interventions and socio-economic development. Blinding trachoma now affects fewer than 80 million people, compared to 360 million in 1985
Ageing populations and lifestyle changes mean that chronic blinding conditions such as diabetic retinopathy are projected to rise exponentially
Without effective, major intervention, the number of blind people worldwide has been projected to increase to 76 million by 2020

Last updated: 23-06-2010