Childhood Blindness and Vision Loss

Child Blindness: Causes, Impact, and Treatments

Globally, there are about 1.45 million children who are blind and a staggering 90 million children live with some form of sight loss. The leading causes of child blindness and vision impairment worldwide are cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, retinopathy of prematurity, congenital ocular anomalies, cerebral visual impairment, and corneal scarring. Blindness in children can be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, the environment, physical trauma, chemical exposure, and even malnutrition.

Vision impairment in children has severe impacts on their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Specifically, vision loss is detrimental to a child’s confidence, educational achievements, and future social and economic potential. It is estimated that 40% of child blindness cases could have been prevented or are treatable if the child has access to medical services.

The leading treatment for most eye conditions, including cataracts, is corrective surgery. Other common treatments include corrective lenses, medication, vision therapy, and low vision aids, such as magnifiers, specialized glasses, or electronic devices. However, the greatest forms of prevention include eye health education, annual full body checkups, and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Child Blindness in sub-Saharan Africa

Though treatment for eye conditions like cataracts are thorough, proven, and reliable, there are many children who live in parts of the world that lack proper medical infrastructure, health systems, medically trained staff, equipment, supplies, and medications. This lack of access to basic and essential health and medical services is a stark reality for the hundreds of thousands of children living throughout sub-Saharan Africa with cataracts, accounting for 15-35% of child blindness on the continent. Here, cataracts, a 100% preventable and treatable eye disease, are the leading cause of child blindness, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive eye care programs and interventions to address and mitigate the causes of child blindness.

Change a life today with Embrace Relief

Embrace Relief is combating global health inequality by supporting various health and medical clinics in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, Kenya, and Uganda. Embrace Relief’s Health program sponsors free comprehensive health screenings and surgical interventions to combat cataracts, pterygium, and glaucoma; it also funds medical expenditures and medicine distribution programs, and facilitates the acquisition of medical supplies and equipment to local and regional medical facilities.

By focusing on providing essential eye care services and treatments, we strive to give every child the opportunity to see a brighter future. You can join us in this mission: a donation of just $55 sponsors a cataract surgery for a person in need.

Your contribution can make a significant impact, offering hope and a brighter future to those affected by preventable blindness and other health challenges. Donate today and be a part of global change.