ROTARY AVOIDABLE BLINDNESS FOUNDATION

Awareness

STATUS OF BLINDNESS IN INDIA

India has about 15,00,000 corneal blind people, increasing at the rate of 30,000 per year. 60% of corneal blind Indians are young people. Fortunately, sight can be restored by replacing the diseased cornea with a good cor- nea that has been received from an eye donation.

Around 75,00,000 people die every year in our country, creating the opportunity to harvest 1,50,00,000 corneas. Though we have about 745 eye banks spread all over the country, they collect on an average 40,000 cor- neas; of that about 15,000 corneas are t for transplanting.

Karnataka with a moderate annual target of 5,600 corneas, through 50 eye banks in the state collected a mere 3,000 corneas. The opportunity that existed was 4,00,000 corneas.

Gift of Sight is Gift of Life

India has about 15,00,000 corneal blind people, increasing at the rate of 30,000 per year. 60% of corneal blind Indians are young people. Fortunately, sight can be restored by replacing the diseased cornea with a good cornea that has been received from an eye donation.

Around 75,00,000 people die every year in our country, creating the opportunity to harvest 1,50,00,000 corneas. Though we have about 745 eye banks spread all over the country, they collect on an average 40,000 corneas; of that about 15,000 corneas are fit for transplanting.

Karnataka with a moderate annual target of 5,600 corneas, through 50 eye banks in the state collected a mere 3,000 corneas. The opportunity that existed was 4,00,000 corneas.