Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and yet, in most cases, it’s completely treatable. In impoverished communities, however, millions are left in darkness simply because they cannot afford or access surgery.
Cataracts affect over 30% of people aged 60+ in underserved areas, yet fewer than half receive surgery. Women and older adults face the greatest barriers, deepening inequality.
High costs, travel expenses, and lost wages prevent patients from seeking treatment. Many regions have fewer than one ophthalmologist per million people, creating long waiting lists.
Clinics often lack electricity, sterile equipment, and basic diagnostic tools. Cultural misconceptions and fear of surgery further discourage people from seeking help.
Blindness leads to lost livelihoods, school dropouts, and increased dependency. Families are trapped in cycles of poverty as elders lose independence and productivity.
Preventable blindness from cataract can be eliminated by 2030, but only through collective action. By investing in training, infrastructure, and culturally sensitive outreach, we can restore sight, dignity, and opportunity to thousands. Every restored eye is a life transformed.
“Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter.”
Sahih Muslim
