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Andhra
steps to tackle blindness on war-footing
B
V Mahalakshmi
Blindness is a major health problem in
India with a disproportionately higher burden of global blindness
of about 25 per cent. In Andhra Pradesh, according to a recent
survey, nearly 1.5 million people in the state are blind.
Another 6.5 million have significant visual impairment. Over
70 per cent of the total cases can either be prevented or
treated with cost-effective intervention. This figure is expected
to double by the year 2020.
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Facts about
blindness
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- In every 5 seconds, one person in the world is
going blind and a child goes blind every minute.
- An estimated 45 million people worldwide are blind,
and every year, an additional 2 million are going
blind.
- Without proper intervention, the number of blind
may increase to 75 million by 2020.
- 80 per cent of the world’s blindness is avoidable.
- There are 45 million blind people and 135 million
with low vision. Out of which 9 million blind people
live in India. People who live in the developing world
are 10 times more likely to go blind than those who
live in highly industrialised countries.
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As part of the Vision 2020
programme, with the initiative of chief minister N Chandrababu
Naidu, India’s maiden state-wide focussed and co-ordinated
initiative is being launched to eliminate avoidable blindness
by the year 2020.
The Vision 2020 right to sight will focus on:
Creating adequate eye care facilities, particularly in under-privileged
areas; Creating a foundation of trained eye care workers;
Implementing specific programmes to control the major causes
of blindness; A co-ordinated programme involving all major
organisations; A programme to be integrated into general health
care services.
The L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad will act as the
nodal point for this programme and also as a resource centre
for policy formulation, training, research and planning for
prevention of blindness. The state’s proposals, which are
likely to be implemented in four five-year phases, are:
* By 2005, the number of cataract surgeries performed annually
will be increased from 350,00 to 500,000. Implantation of
intraocular lenses will be made mandatory unless medically
not advisable.
* Spectacles to eliminate refractive blindness for children
below 15 years and refractive errors for persons aged below
40 years will be eliminated.
* Distribution of vitamin A, immunisation against measles
and rubella, development of primary eye care centres and adequate
number of high quality tertiary child care centres will be
developed by 2010.
* An effective eye banking system with trained corneal surgeons
will be set up in all districts.
* The total budget for the first five years will be around
Rs 325 crore, of which about Rs 168 crore will be shared funding
with the balance to be covered by private fees for service.
It is estimated that about Rs 1,840 crore will be spent between
2002-2020 for eye care, of which about 45 per cent is expected
through grants from various bodies.
The programme is supported by the World Health Organisation
(WHO) together with more than 20 international non-governmental
organisations involved in eye care, prevention and management
of blindness. These steps will prevent an estimated 100 million
people from becoming blind across the country over the next
two decades.
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