His story is a common one. Global estimates suggest that people with moderate to severe vision impairment are about 30 per cent less likely to be employed than those with good eyesight.¹ For lack of a pair of eyeglasses, for want of a simple cataract surgery, millions of people are unable to work. It can keep entire families stuck in the cycle of poverty.

Abraham’s story has a happy ending. After meeting a community health volunteer during a door-to-door eye health screening, he was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts and got sight-restoring surgery on both of his eyes at one of our partner hospitals. He started taking in shoes for repair once again.

But many people won’t get back to work like Abraham did. And that’s because basic eye care isn’t available or accessible to them. According to estimates, about 2.2 billion people worldwide have vision impairment, and in roughly half of those cases, the vision loss could have been prevented or hasn’t yet been treated.²

Lack of access to eye health care

For many people across the globe, the neighbourhood optometry clinic simply doesn’t exist. While people in Western Europe enjoy a ratio of one optometrist to every 3,877 people, countries in central sub-Saharan Africa reported a ratio of one to every 1,198,141 people, according to a 2023 study.³ Even when there is an eye care provider in a nearby city, the barriers to reaching them can be insurmountable for some people living in remote and rural areas. Many can’t afford the bus or train fare, let alone the fees for diagnosis and treatment. And for women and children, travelling alone can be dangerous, so they often need to wait for someone – usually the family breadwinner – to take time off work to escort them. For those with seriously impaired vision or other disabilities, travel might be nearly impossible.

Every day, the community health workers who do eye screenings on our behalf meet people who have previously tried to solve their vision issues without success. Many patients had visited the nearest healthcare provider, often a local dispensary, and were sent home with eyedrops or told their vision couldn’t be treated. Some had bounced around from clinic to clinic, others had resigned themselves to living out their days in blindness. That is why we are working hard to provide eye health care services at the community level.

By connecting people with our partner vision centres and hospitals, helping cover fees and offering safe transportation to the hospital, we can help restore vision to people who may never have gotten treatment otherwise. It’s just one of the ways we are working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number one: No Poverty. By addressing some of the root causes of poverty, like poor eyesight, we can help people stay employed and stay in school.

How eyeglasses can improve income

The global productivity loss attributed to impaired vision is estimated at $411 billion US annually.⁴ And those effects can be seen on the individual level as well.

A recent study looking at workers with presbyopia between the ages of 35-65 in Bangladesh found that those who had reading glasses made 33 per cent more than those who did not.⁵ The study, published in PLOS ONE, tracked the incomes of more than 10,000 participants who work in near-vision intensive occupations – like tailors, mechanics and carpenters – over eight months. Half of the participants received reading glasses right away, while the control group only got a pair after the eight months of data collection. The eyeglasses themselves cost only about US$3-4 per pair but had the potential to transform the lives of the workers.

Another study of tea pickers with presbyopia in India found similar results in 2018.⁶ In that case, the three-month study found that a pair of reading glasses increased productivity for the plantation workers – who are paid by the kilogram of leaves picked – by about 22 per cent, and 32 per cent for those over the age of 50.

As these studies show, addressing vision loss can increase productivity and provide greater economic opportunities for individuals.

The chicken or the egg

Like many other health issues, it can be difficult to untangle the relationship between low incomes and eye health problems. Poor vision can lead to poverty because people often lose or quit their jobs when they’re no longer capable of doing them effectively or safely.

Take Junmoni in India, for example. The mother of two dreamed of sending her daughter to college with her earnings making handwoven fabrics on her loom. But when her vision became blurry, she had to stop weaving. Money got so tight that she was on the brink of selling her handloom. Fortunately she met a community health worker who told her she just needed to visit the local vision centre to get a pair of eyeglasses. Junmoni now wears her prescription eyeglasses while working at her handloom, her dreams for her daughter back on track.

But just as vision loss can lead to poverty, the opposite may also be true.

An infectious eye disease, called trachoma, continues to cause vision loss and blindness in dozens of countries around the world. It is widespread in some rural areas, and also in regions where there are high rates of poverty. The bacteria spreads through personal contact, via hands, clothes and bedding, and by flies that have been in contact with discharge from an infected person. It is most common in areas where people don’t have access to clean water or have to travel long distances for water.

If left untreated, trachoma causes the eyelashes to turn inward and scratch the cornea, leading to severe pain, vision loss and even blindness.

The spread of trachoma can be managed when people have access to clean water, allowing for more frequent hand and face washing, and the cleaning of clothing and bedding. Antibiotics can also help prevent and treat trachoma in areas where it is endemic.

We work with partners and communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia to prevent the spread of trachoma by helping establish water boreholes and latrines and administering antibiotics.

Ninety per cent of vision loss is preventable or treatable, but people living in underserved communities are more likely to go blind. In fact, 90 per cent of people with vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries, which is why we’re working in these areas.

Reaching the unreached

Lack of education is another factor that keeps vision loss in lockstep with poverty. Some people don’t seek eye health care simply because they believe their condition is untreatable. Many older patients believe that vision loss, even blindness, is just an inevitable part of aging. In some communities there may be additional fear or distrust of medical authorities based on previous experiences, myths or other cultural stigmas.

By reaching people in their homes and communities through door-to-door eye screenings and eye camps, we can offer basic eye health education and choice to those who might never get treatment otherwise. And in cases where a patient might be hesitant to get surgery, our community-based approach enables health workers to continue counselling patients over weeks and months, reassuring them, explaining the benefits of a procedure and often convincing them to get treatment in the end.

Another way we work to prevent the devastating effects of vision loss is by making sure the youngest people in our project areas learn about eye health. By offering eye screenings and education in schools, organizations like ours can reach thousands of families through their children, who go home brimming with excitement over the vision test they took at school, and what they learned about eye health. By providing children with referrals to the nearest vision centre or partner hospital, the whole family is made aware of the services that are available to them.

Effects on the whole family

The effects of a cataract surgery often ripple down through the beneficiary’s entire family. We hear of many young women who have given up jobs or dropped out of school to care for a senior family member who has gone blind. Once the family member has had their vision restored through cataract surgery, they often regain their independence, freeing up their caregiver to devote that time to work, school or other economic opportunities.

And parents who have had their vision problems corrected, like Junmoni, are better placed to keep their children in school longer, and even send them off to advanced education, potentially lifting future generations out of poverty.

Finally, children with vision problems who get corrective eyeglasses or treatment fare better at school. In fact, prescription eyeglasses have been shown to have a greater impact on academic achievement than other health interventions, like nutrition and deworming programs.⁷ This is why we are currently expanding our school eye health programs, so we can help more children thrive in school so they can get the best possible start on their working lives.

The road ahead

While many organizations like ours are collaborating with partners, governments and funders to address vision loss and blindness, aging populations and population growth mean that the problem will increase if we don’t act quickly. Some estimates say that by 2050, half of the global population will have myopia.⁸

You can help us continue our mission to prevent blindness and restore sight by following us on our social media accounts, signing up for our newsletter and sharing what you’ve learned with friends and family. Join our global community today.

1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00132-2/fulltext ↩︎
2. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/328717/9789241516570-eng.pdf ↩︎
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375055096_Global_mapping_of_optometry_workforce ↩︎
4. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30488-5/fulltext ↩︎
5. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296115 ↩︎
6. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30329-2/fulltext ↩︎
7. https://educationcommission.org/updates/providing-eyeglasses-school-age-children-high-impact-investment-education/ ↩︎
8. https://www.essilorseechange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Eliminating-Poor-Vision-in-a-Generation-Report.pdf ↩︎

The post The role of eye care in preventing poverty appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Joan Taylor and Gerry Wright of Campbell River, B.C. had no idea what awaited them when Joan opened the Winter 2013 edition of our SightLines newsletter. On the back page was the opportunity to check off a huge bucket list item – walking the El Camino de Santiago in Spain.

“Here were two things I love dearly: Operation Eyesight and the El Camino. I thought, ‘we have to do this.’” explains Joan. “Timing wise it wasn’t all that great because it was less than two weeks after we get back from another holiday, but sometimes in life you just have to do it!”

Joan has been an Operation Eyesight supporter for about 11 years, and has a very personal connection to our mission. Her mother suffered from vision loss due to macular degeneration, so she knows how difficult it can be to manage without vision. Not only that, Joan manages a long-term care facility and works with people who struggle every day because they have lost their eyesight.

“My mom and I were extremely close,” explains Joan. “When she turned 80, my siblings and I decided to give five people the gift of sight from Operation Eyesight in mom’s honour.”

Joan continues: “She was so touched that she cried every time she told somebody about the gifts. She couldn’t get over how you could change someone’s life for such a small amount of money. I was hooked on Operation Eyesight after that.”

As for the El Camino Race for a Reason, it was a perfect solution for Joan and Gerry. They had been hoping to do it – especially after seeing Martin Sheen’s movie “The Way” – but the 30 to 45 days it takes to do the entire trail was daunting. Our 10-day trek was the answer!

To prepare, Joan and Gerry train every day. “It’s not easy! When you’re done work at 5 p.m. and it’s blowing and howling and pouring freezing rain, training is a challenge. But, so what?” laughs Joan. “It’s a great cause and we’re really happy to do it.”

They’ve also tapped their networks to raise the donation portion of the trip. And it’s paid off – they’ve already surpassed their fundraising goal more than two months before the deadline! Joan explains, “Nothing like working under pressure! It’s really touching to see the people who have stepped forward to support. I can’t tell you how deeply touched we are.”

Joan and Gerry’s El Camino adventure has just begun, so check back for updates. And they aren’t the only Operation Eyesight supporters getting ready for a Race for a Reason. Stay tuned for more inspirational stories of adventure and camaraderie in the coming weeks!

The post Adventure awaits on the El Camino journey appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

I feel it’s important to speak about Art’s legacy every chance we get, and the anniversary of his passing is such an opportunity. He is, for us, a touchstone of what our work is about.

Art was inspired by the work of Dr. Ben Gullison, a Canadian physician working in India. Ben wanted to provide “the best for the poorest” – an idea that continues to energize Operation Eyesight. It certainly energized Art.

Back in 1963, when Ben asked if anyone would help him raise money to restore sight to India’s blind, Art and his friends in Calgary eagerly stepped forward. Operation Eyesight was created, and over the years many people have come and gone. But it was Art who continued stepping forward, across Canada and then across the globe with a message of healing for the blind.

It was a simple yet powerful message that boiled down to this: “We have the means and responsibility to help these people. We know there is a simple procedure to correct cataract blindness and we have an obligation as human beings to help our fellow man. We need to do this!”

Art was a businessman, not an eye doctor, yet he spoke accurately about the conditions that cause blindness and the means to cure or prevent it. But his gift was his passion – he was deeply moved by the plight of people already struggling with poverty who would then become blind. He was able to share his passion, and he was eager to speak to any person or group willing to hear him.

As a result, millions of dollars have come from generous donors over the years, and millions of people (yes, millions) have received treatment who would not have otherwise. It is a remarkable accomplishment, and so much of the credit goes to Art and his simple message.

Today, millions more need the same kind of help. However, these people are especially hard to reach; either due to geography or due to understanding. In the spirit of Art Jenkyns, Operation Eyesight continues to step forward in our efforts to reach everyone in danger of blindness and low vision. If this inspires you, please act on it without delay.

Art says thanks.

The post Art Jenkyns’ simple message appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Eyes are also fragile. I know this from experience when I had some serious eye problems a few years ago. I found it ironic that I – the president of an eye care organization – should be in danger of losing my sight. For that moment in time, I wasn’t a lot different from the millions of people who are threatened by vision loss. I suddenly knew exactly how they must feel.

But I had options – I could do something about my eyes, while most of those people can’t. When the lights go out for them, that’s it.  And of course, that’s why Operation Eyesight is hard at work.

World Sight Day is a good thing. It provides an opportunity to think about the unthinkable, which is the prospect of going through life in the dark. Think about this:

• Worldwide there are 39 million people who are blind.
• On top of that there are 245 million who are visually impaired simply because of uncorrected refractive error or the need for a pair of prescription glasses. Not seeing much is almost as bad as seeing nothing at all.
• Many sightless people (mostly who live in developing countries) are blind simply because they are poor.
• As much as 75 percent of the world’s current blindness wouldn’t happen if there was a basic health care system that included eye care.
• Much of blindness could be prevented with clean water, early detection and medical treatment when necessary.

If you need more reasons to care, here’s a heads up. On World Sight Day, go to our website where we’ll be premiering a new two-minute video. It’s quite different from any video we’ve ever done, so watch for it – it will be right on our home page.

One other thing. People often have questions about Africa and India and the challenges these regions face. We’ve been gathering some of those questions, and we’ll use next week’s blog post to answer some of them. If you have a question, simply leave a comment with this post. Thanks for reading!

The post October 13 – just another day? appeared first on Operation Eyesight.