An Obvious Oversight

It can never be said that the value of education is doubted. However, there is something more obvious which needs to be addressed before education can make a positive impact in a child’s life.

According to statistics, approximately 10 percent of primary school-age children in developing countries have vision problems. Most of these problems can be fixed with properly fitted eyeglasses. Due to a lack of optometrists in under-resourced areas, combined with the expense of purchasing eyeglasses, children who would typically be prescribed glasses remain without them – causing them to be hugely disadvantaged for the rest of their lives.

Studies have shown that poor vision amongst school children has a ripple effect: first comes reduced participation in classes, then an increase in absenteeism and dropout rates. Ultimately, impaired eyesight that goes unaddressed throughout childhood and the years after that could inhibit a person’s ability to learn, which has a direct effect on their choice of career and therefore also their ability to earn a decent income. On a larger scale, so significant is the impact of poor eyesight that an estimated U$269 billion of productivity is lost worldwide on an annual basis.

Thankfully, there are a number of interventions that are bringing an end to the unnecessary burden of impaired vision. While some organisations focus on the provision of eye care to communities who typically would not have had access to it due to their remoteness and financial constraints, other organisations have gone the route of innovation. Capitalising on the high number of cellphone owners in developing countries, researchers have developed what is known as the Near Eye Tool for Refractive Assessment (Netra, for short), a clip-on gadget which is used to diagnose eye conditions such as myopia. Another exciting development is the invention of glasses which can be adjusted by the wearer to suit their requirements – without requiring the costly (and often unobtainable) assistance of an optometrist. One can only hope that these inventions, together with increased intervention efforts in the traditional manner, will give people a fair chance to live the lives that they are capable of living.