Bhutan conducts first-ever RARE study to estimate the national eREC
Bhutan’s first Rapid Assessment of Refractive Error survey shows 74% effective refractive error coverage (eREC) for distance vision, though significant unmet needs remain for near vision correction among working-age adults.
Key Findings:
- The prevalence of distance visual impairment stands at 11%, with refractive error at 9.95%, uncorrected refractive error at 2.44%, and presbyopia affecting 51% of adults aged 35 and above.
- Distance eREC reached 74.1%, outperforming both the Southeast Asian average of 54.6% and the global benchmark of 65.8%.
- Women face greater barriers to quality eye care, with distance eREC at 67.7% compared with 79.9% for men.
- Near vision eREC lags significantly at 31.3%, revealing substantial unmet needs for presbyopia correction.
- The relative quality gap between refractive error coverage and effective coverage was 10.9% for distance vision and 2.8% for near vision, suggesting a smaller loss of effectiveness among those receiving near vision correction, despite lower overall coverage.
This study, which surveyed over 3500 people aged 18-49 across 19 districts, provides crucial baseline data for Bhutan’s efforts to meet the WHO’s 2030 eye health targets. While the country’s integration of eye care into primary healthcare has delivered results for distance vision, targeted interventions are needed to address presbyopia and reduce gender inequities in service access and quality.
Reference: Sharma, Indra Prasad, et al. “Effective refractive error coverage and quality gaps in Bhutan: evidence from rapid assessment of refractive error.” BMC Public Health 25.3884 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25143-4
