Eye care – a "profitable investment" in India.

The moment he put on the glasses, Tofan Jena knew his life would no longer be so bleak. For the first time, the 49-year-old vegetable vendor in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Odisha, could see the world around him clearly.

An ophthalmologist is conducting an eye exam for people at a mobile eye clinic in India. Photo: AFP

Jena is one of hundreds of people who recently received their first eye exam from the charity GoodVision. For less than $2, Jena received a pair of corrective glasses that help him see more clearly. “I can recognize all the letters of the alphabet, even the smallest ones. With these glasses, I can do everything,” he excitedly shared.

GoodVision, an organization dedicated to bringing eye care services to underprivileged communities, hopes to bridge the eye care gap in 12 countries, including India – where approximately 550 million people need glasses and an estimated 250 million do not have access to them.

The International Organization for the Prevention of Blindness estimates that in India, the loss of productivity due to preventable or treatable eye diseases amounts to $30 billion.

Piush Khetan, director of GoodVision's India branch, said they provide basic services including free eye exams and glasses for those in need, as well as cataract surgery. Each month, the program visits more than 400 impoverished neighborhoods and villages where people often have limited access to public health services.

Maryline Ehlermann, GoodVision's representative in France, stated that "eye care is a very profitable investment," citing a study that estimated that if 1 billion people with treatable vision problems received treatment, they would "generate $447 billion annually for the global economy ."

LE THU (According to AFP)

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/cham-care-mat-khoan-dau-tu-sinh-loi-o-an-do-a205648.html