The report titled Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investing in Child Eye Health is based on 2020 estimates and reflects the economic losses incurred by India due to lost productive years as a result of childhood blindness spanning over a period of 35 years, and rising to USD 158 billion for 40 working years
A report by Orbis in India suggests that the country loses an estimated USD 118 billion annually in cumulative Gross National Income (GNI) due to childhood blindness. The report titled Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investing in Child Eye Health is based on 2020 estimates and reflects the economic losses incurred by India due to lost productive years as a result of childhood blindness spanning over a period of 35 years, and rising to USD 158 billion for 40 working years. The report was launched at the 16th edition of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight – INDIA national conference. VISION 2020 is a national forum of concerned stakeholders – government, INGOs, NGOs, Corporate working together for improving eye care through advocacy, sharing of knowledge and best practices.
The Cost Benefit Analysis of Investing in Child Eye Health has been categorised into three phases, namely updating the economic burden of childhood blindness post 1998, determining the utility weights for each child’s eye health conditions, and measuring the quality of life of those with childhood blindness and visual impairment, using the utility measures developed.
Other findings in the report include:
- An increase of direct GNI loss due to blindness from Rs 496 billion in 1997 to Rs 768 billion in 2020.
- An increase of 35 per cent in the economic productivity of blind persons to USD 835 million in 2020 compared to 1997 estimates.
- 35 per cent of blindness in children and 82.3 per cent of blindness in adults is preventable and treatable.
- Hospitalisation rate for eye ailments in India stood at 3.6 per 1,000 people in rural areas and 3.5 per 1,000 people in urban areas annually.
- Care givers spend about 50 per cent of the time taking care of children leading to a total indirect cost of Rs 167 billion (USD 2.2 billion)