The Global Burden of Eye Disease

1. The Spread of Eye Diseases and the Most Affected Countries

Eye diseases can spread more easily than many realise. Direct contact with an infected person’s eye discharge or respiratory fluids can lead to infection, and even contaminated water or surfaces pose a risk. Thanks to your donations, our Water for Life programme is addressing this issue by promoting hygiene and providing clean water in areas where it is most needed.

Vision problems from refractive issues can affect anyone, no matter their income or location. However, most eye diseases are found in low-income countries because of poor hygiene.

These countries are typically found in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the majority of cataract cases are also found. This puts into perspective the need for proper, quality hygiene in protecting a population from disease.

2. Most Prevalent Eye Diseases Worldwide and Their Global Impact

Loss of sight is a debilitating disability for anyone to have to go through. While steps have been taken around the world to make it more accommodating for people who have partial or total blindness, the fact remains that not being able to see reduces the ability of many people.

Not simply in mobility, but also in educational achievement, which consequently impacts the jobs that blind people are able to get. The resulting lack of income puts pressure on the government to provide social services and benefits, demonstrating that, if left unchecked, vision impairment can seriously damage the economy of a nation.

3. Demographics Most Affected by Vision Loss and the Impact on Quality of Life

While vision loss can affect anyone at any time, the demographics most likely to be afflicted by it are older people, women, and people in lower-income countries. Older people, as their bodies age and degrade, are more susceptible to losing vision. In a similar vein, women live longer on average, and most eye problems are closely linked to age, resulting in statistics showing more women with eye-related issues than men.

While these aforementioned issues are the unfortunate by products of nature and time, low-income nations are not. Individuals from these countries face a higher likelihood of vision impairment due to the lack of facilities and hygiene being less prevalent. This not only results in eye diseases spreading more easily, but also means that their medical infrastructure is not able to keep up with it, leading to countless people losing their vision entirely from preventable diseases.

Source (WHO: Blindness and Vision Impairment)

The Story of Rosa T. Maria and Santos V.

The Gift of Sight Initiative provides routine eye care to the poorest regions in the world. By providing free cataract screenings, surgeries, and holding eye camps, we prevent the majority of cases from proceeding into partial or total vision loss, allowing people to carry on with their lives without the risk of no longer being able to enjoy it to the fullest.

In our mission of preventing blindness, we have touched the lives of many. In Guatemala, one such individual – Rosa María Tapaz Can (62) – shared a heartfelt message for Humanity First after she was treated for pterygium:

“I came here to the medical camp for an eye surgery and thank God, they [attended to] me extremely [well]. The doctors were very kind, the nurses were very kind, all the staff had good service. I thank God first and foremost and then the doctors.”

Similarly, Santos Velásquez (79) was suffering with cataracts in both eyes, struggling to see the world around him. But thanks to our dedicated volunteers, his sight has been fully restored. He had this to say in response:

“I thank God for this beautiful morning… Last year I was also here on April 15th and I came to operate on my right eye and here by the great will of God I am well. Thank God and also to the staff of the facilities.”