DEAN SAFFRON
PHOTOGRAPHER / FILMMAKER
Eye Care Brien Holden Vision Institute
​
In 2010, the World Health Organization estimated that more than 285 million people globally are visually impaired, of which 39 million are blind, and 246 million have low vision1. Of these an estimated 43% are vision impaired due to uncorrected refractive error (representing 123 million). In addition, 65% of people who are visually impaired and 82% of those who are blind are 50 years and older. A further 517 million people have inadequate correction for functional presbyopia (an age-related difficulty of focusing on near objects).2
This means that in total 640 million people are blind or vision impaired simply because they don’t have access to an eye examination and appropriate spectacles. The visual impairment conditions result in health, socio-economic and quality of life implications for those affected.3 Currently, about 25% of the population of developing countries are affected by eye diseases or are visually impaired. ( words Brien Holden Vision Institute )