Lancet Commission 2021: Global Eye Health

This Lancet Commission examines the profound impacts of eye health and vision on the health and wellbeing of people, families, and populations and the interconnected implications for sustainable development and the global economy. In 2020, an estimated 596 million people had distance vision impairment, while another 510 million people had uncorrected near vision impairment. 90 percent of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and these numbers will only continue to grow as a product of population growth and urbanization. Eye health affects all stages of life, especially impacting young children and older people, though pervasive inequities persist—women, rural populations, and ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience vision impairment.

The report emphasizes the need to reframe eye health and vision as a development issue. Almost all vision impairment issues are preventable, meaning addressing eye health is a cost-effective solution for addressing related issues of poverty reduction, mental health, and education and equity. Among the Commission recommendations include integrating eye health into universal health coverage efforts; improving timeliness, equity, and quality of care; scaling up financial investments in proven cost-effective treatments; expanding service capacity of the eye health workforce; developing robust indicators to monitor global progress; and thoughtful application of technological innovations. In addition to a podcast and video, the report is also augmented by a Commission website that houses case studies on the impact of eye health and features concurrent reports on supporting topics.