In many low and middle income countries, the lack of proper eye care is leading to a crisis of preventable blindness. Imagine having only one eye doctor for a million people—that’s the harsh reality in places like Tanzania, Cameroon, or Guatemala. This means millions of people are at risk of losing their sight simply because they can’t access the treatment they need. At CBM, we know what works: preventing blinding infections, treating eye diseases in time, and surgeries to restore sight.
CBM has facilitated over 15 million cataract surgeries worldwide to prevent blindness. More than 252,000 were performed in 2023 alone. Yet more needs to be done because someone needlessly loses their sight every day.
Major causes of blindness:
The inadequate health care in poor regions means that many people experience permanent eye damage or even go blind due to a few eye diseases. Yet, in many cases, timely treatment could prevent blindness. For more than 90 per cent of all people with visual impairment, the cause of the disability is avoidable or treatable.
- Cataracts: A simple surgery can restore vision, yet millions remain blind due to lack of access.
- Glaucoma: Often goes undiagnosed until it’s too late.
- Neglected Tropical Diseases: Conditions like Trachoma and Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) are still prevalent.
- Refractive Errors: Issues like near-sightedness or farsightedness can lead to severe visual impairment if not corrected.
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