US Edition94 Million Need Cataract Surgery, but Access Lacking: WHO
Nearly half of people with cataract blindness lack surgery access; African Region has 75% untreated cases, while women face lower care access, WHO warns.
- A Lancet Global Health study published today prompted the World Health Organization to urge countries to accelerate efforts as cataract affects more than 94 million people globally.
- Over the past two decades, coverage rose about 15%, yet ageing populations and structural barriers like shortages of trained eye-care professionals, high out-of-pocket costs, and long waiting times limit access.
- In the African Region, three in four people who need cataract surgery remain untreated, despite the procedure being a simple 15-minute, cost-effective operation, according to the WHO.
- Targeted efforts should prioritise women and marginalized communities to reduce inequities, and countries can accelerate progress by expanding the eye-care workforce, investing in essential surgical infrastructure, and integrating vision screening into primary health care.
- Modelling shows coverage rising about 8.4% this decade, yet progress must accelerate sharply to meet the World Health Assembly target of a 30% increase by 2030, and WHO says sustained commitment is essential.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayWHO: 94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking
GENEVA, Feb 11 — More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.Cataracts—the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness—are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.“Cataract surgery—a simple, 15-minute procedure—is one of the most cost-effective medical proc…
A global study published Wednesday in The Lancet reveals the scale of the challenge, but also the inertia of countries in the face of this major public health problem. Cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness, affect more than 94 million people worldwide. Surgery […]
One in Two People With Cataract Blindness Still Lack Access to Surgery
Nearly half of the world’s people living with cataract-related blindness remain without access to sight-restoring surgery, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, calling for urgent global action to close the treatment gap. A new study published in The Lancet Global Health reveals that millions continue to miss out on one of the simplest and
GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to accelerate efforts to ensure that millions of people living with cataracts have access to simple surgery that will bring them back to their eyes, by disseminating this Wednesday 11 a study on the magnitude of this challenge. The study on coverage [...]
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