More than a quarter of people globally have vision impairments

At least 2.2 billion people around the world are living with a vision impairment, according to the WHO’s first report on vision. Here’s what else you need to know: 

• Projections: Some 95 million people will develop glaucoma by 2030, and nearly 245 million will develop any kind of age-related macular degeneration during the same time. 
• Preventable conditions: Of the 1 billion living with untreated or preventable conditions, some 12% have some unaddressed refractive error, while more than 65 million have cataract problems. 
• Disease burden: Unaddressed problems with distance vision is nearly four times as common in low- and middle-income regions than in high-income areas. Women, the elderly, and people with disabilities are also more likely to have vision impairment.