$130m plan targets eye care for 20m people
Bangladesh has pledged $130 million over the next five years to expand eye care services across the country, aiming to provide primary eye care to around 20 million people, conduct one million free cataract surgeries and distribute 10 million pairs of spectacles.
The commitment was announced on November 2 at the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health, hosted by Antigua and Barbuda and co-hosted by Bangladesh, Guyana, Ireland and Nigeria.
The summit was organised in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and convened by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), according to a press release.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit said the government was committed to ensuring vision screening for every citizen and tackling avoidable blindness and visual impairment through the national health system.
He said the government would work with national and international development partners to improve access to eye care services.
The investment comes as Bangladesh faces a significant need to make affordable eye care more widely available, particularly for people living with preventable or treatable vision problems.
According to IAPB’s Value of Vision report, an investment of around $129 million in eye health between 2026 and 2030 could generate an estimated $2.31 billion in economic benefits.
These gains could come from reducing sight loss, improving educational outcomes and increasing productivity.
Meanwhile, VisionSpring, an organisation working to expand eye care access among underserved communities, announced a separate commitment to provide eyeglasses to 7.5 million people in Bangladesh by 2030.
Misha Mahjabeen, the organisation’s managing director in Bangladesh, said eyeglasses played an important role in improving livelihoods, independence and well-being.
She said VisionSpring would expand its partnerships with factories, global brands and drivers’ associations to reach workers in the garment and transport sectors.
The summit also highlighted research showing the wider economic and social benefits of accessible eye care.
A nationwide study found that glaucoma affected 3.2 per cent of adults aged 35 and above in Bangladesh.
Another study, known as the THRIVE trial, found that providing reading glasses to workers in jobs requiring near vision increased their median monthly income by 33.4 per cent.
IAPB Chief Executive Officer Peter Holland said the commitments made at the summit reflected growing recognition of eye health as an investment in human potential, economic growth and sustainable development.
