Causes of sight loss

The leading causes of sight loss are simple to treat—discover the conditions driving the global burden of sight loss. Best viewed on desktop — scroll slowly to explore the full data story.

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Bourne, RA, et al. “Causes of vision loss worldwide, 1990–2010: a systematic analysis.” The Lancet Global Health 1.6 (2013): e339-e349.

Danquah L, et al. The long term impact of cataract surgery on quality of life, activities and poverty: results from a six year longitudinal study in Bangladesh and the Philippines. PLoS One 2014; 9(4): e94140.

Kuper H, et al. Does cataract surgery alleviate poverty? Evidence from a multi-centre intervention study conducted in Kenya, the Philippines and Bangladesh. PLoS One 2010; 5(11): e15431.

Owsley, C, et al. (1999). Older drivers and cataract: driving habits and crash risk. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences, 54(4), M203-M211.

Terry Cooper, Joy Saha, Daniela Cotovanu, Brian Nguyen, Graham Coates, Theresa Gende, Arpan Chowdhury, Operation Eyesight, Ulrich Eigner

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Tracking 2030 In Sight Progress (2025 Report)

Progress against the 2030 In Sight Strategy — 2025 update.

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Magnitude of sight loss

Discover how sight loss affects over a billion people worldwide—and why the number is still rising.

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Modelling Cataract Mortality in Kenya: A New Tool for Eye Health Planning

Simulation model estimates that 77% of individuals on Kenya’s cataract backlog in 2025 will die before receiving surgery at current surgical capacity, with the model designed to be adaptable for use in other countries.