Orbis Brings School-Based Eye Health Intervention to Children in India

credit: Wikimedia Commons

India has the highest number of blind children in the world at 680,000, and one nonprofit in the country is trying to do something about it.

Orbis International is sending teams of eye care professionals to schools in the country to perform vision screenings, provide glasses, and refer kids with conditions such as macular degeneration or nearsightedness to local hospitals, reports the BBC.

The idea is to get early detection and treatment for refractive error, which is one of the most common causes of blindness and severe visual impairment in children.

"The good news is that the financial, economic, and social burden of refractive error can be prevented and mitigated with regular eye check-ups and timely interventions," the nonprofit says in a press release.

In India, Orbis says it has been " instrumental in improving the lives" of more than 5 million children through the Refractive Error Among Children program, which has three objectives: "to eliminate barriers to eye health for school children; to improve the quality of school eye health services; and to create a positive, sustainable environment at schools where eye health services are provided."

To that end, children are encouraged to bring their friends to help them choose their glasses, and Orbis monitors their adherence.

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