Blindness & Visual Impairment
Overview
Vision plays a critical role in every facet and stage of our lives. Vision impairment occurs when an eye condition affects our ability to see clearly. Everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime that will require appropriate care.
Vision impairment can have serious consequences for the individual across the life course. Many of these consequences can be mitigated by timely access to quality eye care. Eye conditions that can cause vision impairment and blindness – such as cataract or refractive error – are the main focus of eye care strategies; nevertheless, the importance of eye conditions that do not typically cause vision impairment – such as dry eye or conjunctivitis – should not be overlooked. These conditions are frequently among the leading reasons for presentation to eye care services.
Causes
Globally, the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness are:
- refractive errors
- cataract
- diabetic retinopathy
- glaucoma
- age-related macular degeneration.
Key facts
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. For at least 1 billion of these people, vision impairment could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness are refractive errors and cataracts. It is estimated that 2 out of 3 people in low-income countries who need eyeglasses don’t have access to them. In addition, 1 in 2 people globally who need cataract surgery don’t have access to that surgery. Vision impairment poses an enormous global financial burden, with the annual global cost of productivity estimated to be US$ 411 billion. Vision loss can affect people of all ages; however, most people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50 years.
Impact of vision impairment
Personal impact
Young children with early onset irreversible severe vision impairment can experience delayed motor, language, emotional, social and cognitive development, with lifelong consequences. School-age children with vision impairment can also experience lower levels of educational achievement.
Vision impairment severely impacts quality of life among adult populations. Adults with vision impairment can experience lower rates of employment and higher rates of depression and anxiety.
In the case of older adults, vision impairment can contribute to social isolation, difficulty walking, a higher risk of falls and fractures, and a greater likelihood of early entry into nursing or care homes.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
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