Of the 1.1 billion people worldwide living with vision impairment, half are affected by conditions that could be prevented or treated with access to basic eye care services.
Alarmingly, 90% of people with visual impairment live in low- and middle-income nations, and 75% of all blind children reside in Africa and Asia.
Traditionally, hospitals have relied on outreach services and mobile clinics to reach rural and peri-urban communities. While these methods can be effective, they are often expensive and challenging to sustain. Vision centers offer a more sustainable and accessible alternative to expand eye care services and that builds long term capacity.
IEF is working with leading organizations to expand networks of Vision Centers in India designed to bring primary eye care closer to underserved communities. Staffed by trained ophthalmic assistants, these centers provide basic eye exams, eyeglasses and initial treatments. A key feature is adoption of new technology and integration with telemedicine, which enables real-time consultations with ophthalmologists at a base hospital for cataract and other complex surgical cases.
Seven partner hospitals and a selection of 20 Vision Centers are incorporating advanced technologies such as AI-assisted fundus cameras and virtual field perimeters. These tools empower Vision Center technicians to detect conditions like Diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma at the primary care level - something that was previously not possible. Early detection is crucial for better disease management and improved visual outcomes.
In the past two years, over 190,000 people have been screened, with an upward trend in treatments, referrals and surgeries for cataract and retina-related conditions. Referral accuracy and effectiveness have improved, resulting in greater convenience for patients and appropriate care at base hospitals. The expanded range of services has been well received by communities, strengthening community involvement and trust in the system.
To ensure the success of this model, it is essential to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the full Continuum of Care: from early identification and accurate referral using AI to increase uptake, patient compliance, quality treatment, and follow-up. Ongoing research is also needed to assess the scalability and replicability of using advanced equipment in community-based settings.