Cataract Eye Surgeries

Key facts

• 314 million people are visually impaired worldwide; 45 million of them are blind.
• Older people are more vulnerable to visual impairment
• Women are at a greater risk
• 87% of the world's visually impaired live in developing countries
• Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness globally, except in the most developed countries.
• 41.8% of global blindness is due to cataract
• 81% of blindness due to cataract is in India
• 2 million new cataract cases get added every year to India’s backlog
• 1 ophthalmologist for 100,000 people in India
• 60-69 year old are at 2.74 times greater risk of losing vision
• 70+ are at 4.86 times greater risk of losing vision

Projections in India

• 31.6 million in India by 2020
• 14 million surgeries needed every year during 2006-2020 to prevent blindness due to cataract
• 7.63 million 50+ years in 2020
• 70+ in age are at the highest risk for blindness due to cataract

 

HelpAge India and Cataract Eye Surgeries
HelpAge India has continuously supported free of cost cataract surgeries to poor and needy older persons. Every year, more than 20000 cataract surgeries are performed all over the country where HelpAge India partners with credible and competent Eye Hospitals and organisations working in the field of eye-care. The entire fund to support this activity is raised through donations. 
In the last 14 years, HelpAge India has supported 4,90,000 surgeries on older persons by partnering with 341 organizations (eye hospitals, trusts, NGOs). It is not just the surgery that is supported. Awareness is generated in the community, the catchment area of the organization, on eye care, prevention of eye diseases/infections, precautions to be taken during infections etc. 
Through each project, several thousands of individuals are screened for cataract. Along with this, they get screened for

• Corneal opacity/injuries

• Vision
• Cataract
• Retinal Pathology
• Glaucoma

Besides the infections/diseases in the eye, other illnesses such as

• General health, including disabilities
• Cardio Vascular Diseases
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Hypertension

also get detected. In 90% of the cases, it happens for the first time with the person that s/he is aware of the illnesses/diseases which they suffer from.

The high point is that people living in areas where health care is unavailable, unaffordable and inaccessible – slums, remote villages, difficult terrain areas are reached out, not only for awareness, screening and detection, but for surgery and post surgery follow-up also.

HelpAge India aims at achieving the following:

1. Improved/restored vision of the older persons thereby
• improving ability to read or do near work
• reducing dependence on other for activities of daily living’
• increasing ability to avoid injury/falls
• increasing opportunities to continue or resume an occupation
• increasing mobility 
  
  
  
2. Improvement in quality of life leads to
• restored dignity
• improved self esteem
• increased social contact and ability to participate in social activities
• relief from fear of blindness
• improved physical function, emotion well being
  
  
  

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