The Government of India (GoI) annually observes Prevention of Blindness Week from 1st to 7th April (the first week of April) to create awareness about blindness prevention, promote regular eye check-ups, and encourage healthy eye care practices.
- In 2025, Prevention of Blindness Week was observed from April 1 to April 7.
- The observance is spearheaded by the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness (NSPB) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI).
About National Society for the Prevention of Blindness (NSPB):
i.The NSPB was established in 1960 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with former Prime Minister (PM) of India Jawaharlal Nehru as Chief Patron and former Union Health Minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur served as the first President of NSPB.
ii.The organisation collaborates with United States of America (USA) based Rotary International and United Kingdom (UK)-based Sightsavers to spread awareness and improve access to eye care.
Significance:
i.Create awareness about the causes of blindness and visual impairment.
ii.Promote preventive measures, treatment options, and lifestyle changes for healthy vision.
iii.Highlight the importance of regular eye examinations to reduce the risk of preventable blindness.
Blindness:
i.Blindness refers to the inability to see or a significant loss of vision caused by factors such as infections, accidents, genetic conditions, or other underlying diseases.
ii.The degree of blindness can vary from complete loss of vision to the ability to perceive only light or basic shapes.
Government Initiatives in India:
i.The MoHFW has implemented various programmes to control blindness:
- National Trachoma Control Program (1963)
- National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB) (1976)
- National Program for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) (2017)
ii.Under the Mission Mode Cataract Surgery Campaign (Netra Jyoti Abhiyan) 2022–25, the government aims to address cataract-related blindness.
iii.Additionally, the Bharati Braille Code facilitates education for visually impaired children in Indian languages.
Global Reports on Blindness:
i.As per the WHO 2023 Report:
- 2.2 billion people globally suffer from near or distance vision impairment.
- In at least 1 billion of these cases, vision impairment is preventable or unaddressed.
- Vision impairment causes a global productivity loss of around USD 411 billion annually. India alone loses an estimated USD 54.4 billion annually due to blindness and visual impairment.
ii.As per International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness’s Vision Atlas, 2021:
- 1.1 billion people live with vision loss globally; 90% is preventable or treatable.
- 43 million people are blind globally, with 77% of cases preventable or treatable.
- 295 million have moderate-to-severe visual impairment, with 77% avoidable.
- By 2050, global blindness cases may rise to 60 million.
Related Observance:
World Glaucoma Week 2025
The World Glaucoma Week 2025 was observed annually across the globe from 9th to 15th March 2025 under the theme “Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World”, emphasizes early detection and global collaboration to prevent irreversible vision loss.
Note: Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, requires timely intervention to mitigate risks.
