Where-ever you live, primary healthcare interventions that save and restore sight not only transform lives, they help people return to school and maintain a livelihood, strengthening local economies and overall life expectancy.
In many high-income countries, vision care is an essential benefits of primary healthcare. Out-of-pocket expenses may vary, but patients can relatively easily access eye exams that screen for the conditions which threaten sight. As most corneal-related conditions can be resolved with a preventative or surgical intervention, access to comprehensive eye care is key to maintaining sight.
And yet, vision care is frequently out of reach for individuals and their families who live in low- and middle-income countries, or who are disadvantaged and underserved in high-income countries. This lack of access has significant negative impacts on health and well-being.
The data proves investments in primary healthcare make a long-term difference.
That’s why SightLife and our local partners advocate for the integration of corneal care within basic health care coverage. It’s also why our approach to eliminating corneal blindness prioritizes health systems strengthening—because even the best healthcare coverage and corneal care interventions can’t improve outcomes if they don’t reach people, when and where they need them across all stages of life.
As the Director General of Health Services in India, I am committed to developing a quality, equitable health system that serves the people and our communities for improved health and wellbeing. That’s why I respect SightLife’s thoughtful approach in strengthening health systems to eliminate corneal blindness in India and around the world.