Global Data On Visual Impairments
AUTHOR:
World Health Organization
SPONSOR/INSTITUTION:
YEAR PUBLISHED:
2011
PUBLICATION:
World Health Organization
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
Globally the number of people of all ages visually impaired is estimated to be 285 million, of whom 39 million are blind.
People 50 years and older are 82% of all blind.
The major causes of visual impairment are uncorrected refractive errors (43%) and cataract (33%); the first cause of blindness is cataract (51%).
Visual impairment in 2010 is a major global health issue: the preventable causes are as high as 80% of the total global burden.