4 out of 5 blind can still recover eyesight

MANILA - Four out of five blind people could recover their eyesight if they can avail of adequate treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.

WHO's Western Pacific office said cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are the leading causes of blindness. A simple eye surgery and preventive healthcare would have been enough to reduce blindness. But while this is effective, the WHO said most citizens in developing countries cannot afford to pay for a cataract operation or preventive health care.

"Surveys indicate that globally, 90 percent of people with blindness or low vision live in low-income countries. Within these countries, disadvantaged and vulnerable communities are the worst affected and this reflects the linkages of eye health to poverty and education," WHO said in a statement.

The WHO said there are 39 million people who are blind and 246 million people with poor vision. Of those, 10 million blind people and 79 million with poor vision live in the Western Pacific region.

In line with this year's World Sight Day, the WHO Western Pacific said it is coordinating international efforts to reduce avoidable blindness and visual impairment. In the Western Pacific Region, a dedicated program for the prevention of blindness was established in 2011 to improve quality access to eye-care services in developing countries.

The WHO also promotes the reduction of blindness through its partnership with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, an umbrella organization that works with non-governmental organizations involved in eye care.