Our Work
Healthcare Programme
OUR WORK
Vision Restoration & Correction
CATARACT SURGERIES
There are an estimated 4.8 million blind persons in India. As per the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2015-2019 India, cataract was the principal cause of blindness (66.2%), with severe visual impairment (80.7%), and moderate visual impairment (70.2%) for population over the age of 50 years. According to Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), 2020, nearly 23.2 percent of 138 million that is 32 million people over the age of 60 in India, are visually impaired or blind due to cataract.
Cataract can be treated with a relatively simple operation by removing the opaque lens. However, the cost of a cataract surgery with an intra-ocular lens implant is nowhere within the affordable limits of those with fewer means.
HelpAge India conducts nationwide projects for providing free of cost cataract surgeries with intra ocular lens implant, to poor and needy senior citizens affected by this disease. The beneficiaries are primarily senior citizens (above the age of 50), who have no significant means of support, i.e. from the low socio-economic strata of society. Over 32,000 cataract surgeries are performed across India each year, wherein HelpAge India partners with credible and competent eye-care hospitals/organisations.
This simple surgery helps elders regain their independence through their restoration of vision thereby resuming their supportive roles in their families by way of income generation activities, providing psychological support to the younger generations and assisting to increase the overall social and economic security of the family. More importantly, it renews a feeling of self-dignity, hope and enthusiasm for life.
12L+
Elders had their vision restored
32000+
Cataract surgeries conducted every year
25000+
Corrective spectacles provided every year
REFRACTION ERROR CORRECTION
Refractive error (RE) is one of the most common ocular conditions affecting all age groups, particularly the elderly. Worldwide, URE (Untreated Refraction Error) is the leading cause of vision impairment and the second leading cause of blindness, after cataract, in developing countries, including India. Most REs can be easily corrected at the primary care level with spectacles. However, the cost of eye screening and quality spectacles is often out of the reach of a disadvantaged older person.
Since 1980, HelpAge India has been committed to improving the vision of elderly individuals through its Vision Restoration Programme. Each year, the program provides eye screening services and corrective spectacles for refractive errors to over 25,000 needy elderly. This initiative ensures that these individuals receive high-quality eye care, significantly enhancing their quality of life and promoting greater independence.
HelpAge India implements the program by organizing eye screening camps as part of its community outreach initiative. These camps are held in various locations to ensure accessibility for elderly individuals. During the camps, trained optometrists and paramedical staff conduct visual acuity tests and assess refractive errors. They record prescriptions for those in need of refraction error correction. Spectacles—ranging from reading glasses to bifocals and single-vision lenses—are customized to meet the needs of these beneficiaries. The spectacles once prepared are then provided directly to the elderly in their own villages, facilitated by dedicated community volunteers from HelpAge India. This initiative not only addresses immediate vision needs but also promotes eye health awareness and improves the overall quality of life for elderly individuals in the community.
