National Eye Health Policy Universal Eye Care Services Towards Universal Health Coverag

Eye diseases and vision loss are global health problems that impose significant socioeconomic burdens on nations, families and individuals. Direct costs for medical bills from public and personal spending, indirect costs from loss or lower productivity, absenteeism and unpaid care provided by family and friends are some examples. For the individual, blindness is a devastating event that often leads to poverty and a lifetime of despondency, dependency, higher risk of accidents, other chronic diseases and death especially in developing countries where more than 90% of the world’s blind reside.