Question 1

How many people have vision problems globally?

Accepted Answer

At least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment or blindness — and in at least 1 billion cases the condition is preventable or untreated (WHO 2019). 43 million people are blind. The leading causes — uncorrected refractive error (826 million) and untreated cataract (94 million) — are both readily addressable.

Question 2

What are the most common causes?

Accepted Answer

WHO 2019: uncorrected refractive error (826M — most common); cataract (94M — leading cause of blindness); glaucoma (76M — leading irreversible blindness); AMD (67M); diabetic retinopathy (49M). Trachoma is the leading infectious blindness cause.

Question 3

What is cataract and how is it treated?

Accepted Answer

Cataract is clouding of the crystalline lens causing progressive blurring and ultimately blindness — the leading cause of blindness in LMICs. Cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial one — a 10-15 minute outpatient procedure restoring near-normal vision at $25-50 in LMICs. It is one of the most cost-effective healthcare interventions in medicine.

Question 4

What is uncorrected refractive error?

Accepted Answer

Refractive error — myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism — affects 826 million people globally but is entirely correctable with spectacles, contact lenses or surgery. Hundreds of millions lack access to basic spectacles, particularly in LMICs where eye examination is unavailable in primary care.

Question 5

What is glaucoma?

Accepted Answer

Glaucoma — optic nerve disease mostly from elevated intraocular pressure — causes gradual, painless, irreversible peripheral vision loss. It affects 76 million and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Because it is initially asymptomatic, regular IOP and optic nerve checks are essential for detection. Treatment halts progression but cannot restore lost vision.

Question 6

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Accepted Answer

Diabetic retinopathy — retinal vessel damage from chronic hyperglycaemia — affects 49 million and is the leading cause of new blindness in working-age adults, rising with the global diabetes epidemic. Prevention requires glucose and blood pressure control. Annual retinal screening detects early disease; laser or anti-VEGF injections treat sight-threatening retinopathy.

Question 7

What is trachoma and how is it being eliminated?

Accepted Answer

Trachoma — from Chlamydia trachomatis — causes irreversible blindness through scarring and eyelash inward turning. WHO's SAFE strategy combines Surgery (for trichiasis), Antibiotics (azithromycin), Face washing and Environmental improvement. Eliminated in 17 countries; WHO targets global elimination by 2030.

Question 8

Why is vision impairment so inequitably distributed?

Accepted Answer

90% of visually impaired people live in LMICs with less than half of global eye health resources. Barriers: few ophthalmologists; spectacles unaffordable; eye care excluded from health insurance; limited primary care integration. Women face higher vision impairment rates but lower access to care.

Question 9

What is the WHO World Report on Vision?

Accepted Answer

The WHO World Report on Vision (2019) documented 2.2 billion with vision impairment, identified at least 1 billion preventable or untreated cases, and proposed the IPEC model embedding eye care in primary health care. It catalysed WHA72.11 resolution on integrated people-centred eye care.

Question 10

What is the global myopia epidemic?

Accepted Answer

Global myopia prevalence is rising dramatically — from ~20% in East Asia in the 1950s to over 80% today, primarily from reduced outdoor time in childhood. By 2050, WHO projects myopia will affect 50% of the global population. High myopia (associated with retinal detachment and blindness) will affect 10%.

Question 11

How does eye care integrate with diabetes and ageing?

Accepted Answer

Annual diabetic retinopathy screening must be integrated into diabetes management. Age-related macular degeneration affects 67 million older adults. Cataract prevalence rises steeply with age. Eye care must be part of every NCD and ageing strategy — untreated vision loss contributes to falls, depression and dementia in older adults.

Question 12

How does GMJ News cover eye care?

Accepted Answer

GMJ News covers WHO World Report implementation, trachoma elimination, the myopia epidemic, diabetic retinopathy as a rising burden and eye care integration into UHC. Georgia has eye health disparities between urban and rural areas mirroring global patterns.

GMJ News

Eye Care and Vision

Key messages

Key statistics

Glossary of key terms

Latest GMJ coverage

Frequently asked questions 12 Q&A — structured for Google featured snippets and AI discovery

Knowledge hub: guidelines, conventions and reports

Organizations working in migration and health

Related health topics

Company