Mission

The annual economic impact of major vision problems among the adult population 40 years and older is more than $145 billion.

Vision loss causes a substantial social and economic toll for millions of people including significant suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life.

An estimated 93 million adults in the United States are at high risk for serious vision loss, but only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months.

Vision disability is one of the top 10 disabilities among adults 18 years and older and one of the most prevalent disabling conditions among children.

Approximately 12 million people 40 years and over in the United States have vision impairment, including 1 million who are blind, 3 million who have vision impairment after correction, and 8 million who have vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error.

As of 2012, 4.2 million Americans aged 40 years and older suffer from uncorrectable vision impairment, out of which 1.02 million who are blind; this number is predicted to more than needlessly double by 2050 to 8.96 million due to the increasing epidemics of diabetes and other chronic diseases and our rapidly aging U.S. population.

Approximately 6.8% of children younger than 18 years in the United States have a diagnosed eye and vision condition. Nearly 3 percent of children younger than 18 years are blind or visually impaired, defined as having trouble seeing even when wearing glasses or contact lenses.

Early detection and timely treatment of eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy has been found to be successful and cost-effective. 90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable.

National and state data show that more than half of adult Americans who did not seek eye care are due to lack of awareness or costs, which often exacerbated by lack of adequate health insurance.

More than 70% of survey respondents from the National Eye Health Education Program 2005 Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey consider that the loss of their eyesight would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day life; however, less than 11% knew that there are no early warning signs of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Vision impairment costs Canadians $19 billion a year in productivity. This impact is disproportionately felt by vulnerable and marginalized groups including indigenous, youth, and elderly persons.

Vision impairment is a significant problem that affects an individual’s health, economic well-being, and productivity. Despite an emerging crisis in vision impairment, eye health has not been prioritized by Canada’s public health policies and budgets.

An estimated 5.5 million Canadians suffer from vision impairment and that number is expected to increase by nearly 30% in the next decade. Vision loss has the highest direct health care cost of any other disease. By 2032, vision loss is expected to cost Canadians $30.3 billion in lost productivity.

Over 75% of vision impairment and blindness is avoidable or treatable, but early detection and treatment is critical.  By enabling access to primary eye care, we can reduce the number of people in Canada who suffer from vision impairment. When people have their sight, there are more opportunities to work, learn and break the cycle of poverty.

Nearly 1 in 6 Canadians are living with one of the four major eye diseases and are at serious risk of losing their vision, yet vision loss can be treated or even prevented in 75 percent of cases. Recently, the Conference Board of Canada reveals that treating vision loss is projected to save $1.6 billion in direct health care costs in 2020, a number that’s expected to reach $4 billion by 2040.

The report, which examined the value of ophthalmology from a health outcome, health care efficiency, and societal/economic perspectives, shows the large economic impact on health care systems, society, and individuals. According to the study, an estimated 263,400 individuals will have improved vision in 2020 through ophthalmic interventions. By treating vision loss, approximately 82,500 negative medical outcomes will be avoided, including injuries or other associated health care needs such as falls, hip fractures, depression, anxiety, admission into long-term care, and use of home care or caregiver services.

“The odds of getting a serious eye disease are higher than you think. Through early detection, treating vision loss provides life-changing impacts on patients and their families, including regained independence and quality of life,” says Dr. Colin Mann, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. “Of all the disease categories in Canada, vision loss has the highest direct health care cost. The report shows that the economic benefits of averting vision loss far outweigh the cost of delivering ophthalmic interventions and help to safeguard the future of eye care in Canada.”

Source: Ophthalmology in Canada: Why Vision Loss Should Not Be Overlooked” Conference Board of Canada, 2020

Internationally, in developing countries mostly, avoidable blindness is a pandemic.  The first steps to success in a human’s life can be impaired if the baby cannot see its mother and build that important bond, or for a schoolgirl to not be able to study or learn; or for a woman or man to not be able to participate in the workforce to provide for their families.

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss.

At least 1 billion more need ongoing access to eye care services.

90% of people with vision loss live in low- and middle-income / developing countries.

Vision loss is linked to socioeconomic disadvantage. South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa experience the highest rates of vision loss.

Inequalities within regions, countries, and communities also exist but are often masked by national averages.

74% of people with vision loss are aged 50 years and older.

Vision loss is linked to aging. Rates of vision loss quickly increase every decade above 50 years.
Health promotion and early detection can delay or prevent many causes of vision loss.

609 million women and girls live with vision loss (55%).3 This is compared to 497 million men and boys. One reason for this is that women typically have a longer life expectancy than men. Beyond this, women experience a higher rate of vision loss than men for many conditions across every stage of life.