• There are 7.17 billion people around the world, and 285 million are visually impaired. 80% of cases could be easily avoided.
• 7 million people around the world will go blind this year, mainly because of easily preventable diseases.
• Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are the two leading causes of visual impairment around the world.
• Over 90% of people suffering from visual impairment live in developing countries. Africa is the most vulnerable continent of all.
• Cataract surgery takes around 10 mins and costs £28, but cataracts still cause 49% of the world’s blindness due to lack of optical aid.
• Just a clean bucket of water could help prevent Trachoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in Africa.
• 80 million people suffer from Trachoma, 99% of who live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• There is a huge shortage of ophthalmologists all over the world. Zambia, with 13 million inhabitants, only counts 8 cataract surgeons.