Study: Millions still lack access to basic eye care worldwide

Millions of people across the world still lack access to basic eye care such as glasses according to a new study led by Professor Rupert Bourne of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

The research, published in The Lancet Global Health, measured the global availability and quality of treatment for uncorrected refractive error, one of the most common forms of vision loss.

The study used data from 815,273 participants from 76 countries and found that global refractive correction (eREC) is currently at 65.8%, just six percentage points higher than in 2010.

The researchers say the results mean the World Health Organization (WHO)'s target, set in 2021, of a 40 percentage point increase in eREC by 2030 is likely to be missed unless urgent action is taken across the world to increase the access to basic treatments such as spectacles.

The results are grouped into 'super regions': north Africa and the Middle East; Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean; south Asia; southeast Asia, east Asia and Oceania; central Europe, eastern Europe and central Asia; and high income (areas of north America and western Europe, which includes the UK).

The burden of uncorrected vision loss falls more heavily on low-income countries, women, and older adults. In the high income region, eREC is at 85% for men and 83% for women, while in sub-Saharan Africa the figure is around 30% for men and 27% for women. The WHO targets are set at country level, with high income countries such as the UK expected to strive for 100% eREC by 2030.

The data shows some encouraging trends. Between 2000 and 2023, there was a 50% improvement in the number of people receiving the correct prescription for eyeglasses. However, the authors note that the need for glasses has also increased, largely driven by lifestyle-related risk factors, for example increased screen time and reduced outdoor activities during childhood.

The research cites examples of action that individual countries have already taken and could be adopted by others. In France, full reimbursement of the cost of spectacles was introduced as part of universal health insurance in 2021/22. Pakistan has implemented a series of national eye-care plans over the past 20 years that have increased spectacle use and reduced vision impairment caused by uncorrected refractive error.

Rupert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, is Principal Investigator for the Vision Loss Expert Group, a global network of health researchers that carried out the study.

Correction of refractive error is the safest, most efficient, and most economical intervention to improve daily vision quality for the majority of individuals affected by vision impairment worldwide, contributing to reducing poverty and improvements in wellbeing, work productivity, education, and equity.

Data from 815,000 people across 76 countries in our new study shows that we are off track to meet World Health Organisation targets. Urgent global action is needed to reach the goal of a 40% increase in eyeglasses coverage by 2030."

Rupert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology, Anglia Ruskin University