The Indian economy loses more to avoidable sight loss than any other country barring China and the US, says a study that urged business leaders to put eye health on the workplace well-being agenda this World Sight Day (WSD).

Preventable sight loss costs India $27 billion a year in lost productivity, estimated the study by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Professor Kevin Frick from Johns Hopkins, evaluating those over 50 years.

Global scenario

China’s loss from avoidable sight loss was pegged at $96 billion, followed by the US at $50 billion. This also meant that India had the third-highest potential savings of all countries in the study, it added.

“As technology transforms the world of work, the future economy will be dominated by service industries and office-based jobs involving the prolonged use of screens. Without proper precautions, this can lead to eye strain and negatively impact eye health,” a note of the study said.

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Sight loss costs the global economy $411 billion every year, according to the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health. About 70 million people live with visual impairment in India, the note said, adding that early detection and treatment for eye conditions like cataracts and myopia was vital to protect livelihoods and allow businesses to thrive.

Role of business leaders

Peter Holland, IAPB Chief Executive, said, “Business leaders have played a vital role in raising awareness of workplace wellbeing, from mental health to menopause. Today, World Sight Day (WSD) is an opportunity for employers to add eye health to their well-being agenda and encourage workers to love their eyes.”

The IAPB is a global alliance of organisations working towards the elimination of avoidable blindness and vision impairment. And the  second Thursday of October each year is WSD, a UN recognised event.

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“Our eyes are central to our ability to earn a living. Sight loss has a profound impact on one’s personal and professional life, with cataracts and simply not having reading glasses among the leading causes of avoidable sight loss. Women, people in rural communities and ethnic minority groups are even more likely to experience sight loss and be excluded from employment and services,” Holland added.

Changes at workplace

Vision-friendly work environments can be created through eye health education initiatives, connecting employees with eye health services, adding eye health to insurance plans or adjusting screen settings, he pointed out. 

“Nobody should experience avoidable sight loss, and no business should miss out on the boost that better eye health brings to their bottom line,” he said.

Vinod Daniel, CEO of India Vision Institute, observed that people from disadvantaged and rural communities lacked adequate access to eye care, and are thus denied vision screenings and a pair of corrective glasses. “This means uncorrected refractive error is costing the country billions in lost productivity, and valuable earnings for the individuals affected,” he added

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