According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) categories of visual impairment, the available data suggest that there are currently approximately 50 million people in the world who are blind, i.e. visual acuity in the better eye of less than 3/60 (WHO, 1998). Approximately 8-10 million people become blind each year and it is estimated that approximately 6-8 million people who are blind die each year. The result is a net increase of 1-2 million blind persons per year. The increase in blindness is due to an increasing world population and increased life expectancy, with more people in the world living beyond the age of 60 years. The current estimates also suggest that there are an additional 135 million people with visual impairment, and an even larger number with significant uncorrected refractive errors, including presbyopia.
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References
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International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (1993) World Bank, World Development Report: Investing in Health. Washington DC, World Bank.
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World Health Organisation (1998) World Health Report. Geneva, WHO .
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World Health Organisation (1999) VISION 2020- The Right to Sight: Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness, WHO Programme for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness . Geneva, WHO.
