If you're over 50 and reading this article, chances are you're wearing inexpensive reading glasses to correct presbyopia or farsightedness. Presbyopia is a decline in visual acuity associated with aging, which gradually makes it difficult to see fine print and small print. object.
We all end up in this state eventually.
But for nearly a billion people in developing countries, reading glasses are a luxury many cannot afford. According to the World Health Organization, the lack of access to corrective eyewear hinders young students' learning, increases the likelihood of road accidents, and forces millions of middle-aged factory workers and farmers into early retirement. It's gone.
Naturally, uncorrected presbyopia makes it difficult for breadwinners to support their families. This is the conclusion of a new study that found that garment workers, artisans and tailors in Bangladesh who were given free reading glasses had a 33 percent increase in income compared to those who were not given glasses.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, included more than 800 adults living in rural Bangladesh, many of whom had jobs that required close attention to detail. . Half of the participants (tea pickers, weavers, and seamstresses between the ages of 35 and 65) were randomly selected to receive free reading glasses. Others were not given glasses.
When the researchers followed up eight months later, they found that the glasses-wearing group had an average monthly income of $47.10, while the non-glasses participants had an average monthly income of $35.30.
The study participants were evenly divided between men and women, and just over a third were literate.
Dr. Nathan Congdon, lead author of the study and an ophthalmologist at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, said the results demonstrate the economic impact of uncorrected vision in some parts of the world where uncorrected vision costs around $1.50. It added to the body of evidence quantifying the Purchasing a so-called leader is out of reach for many people.
“A 33% increase in revenue would make us all happy,” said Dr. Condon, who specializes in low-cost models of eye care delivery. “But what makes this result particularly interesting is its potential to convince governments that vision care interventions are as cheap, cost-effective and life-changing as anything else that can be delivered in the medical field. That’s true.”
Dr. David S. Friedman, a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study, said he was shocked by the results and hoped future studies would confirm them. He said: “These economic impacts are large and real and could have a significant impact on people's lives.”
Eye care has long been neglected in public health in developing countries. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS tend to attract stronger government and philanthropic support. However, visual impairment is a serious global problem, with the cost in lost productivity expected to be more than $400 billion, according to the WHO.
Experts say spending on eye care can have a significant impact on communities, both in terms of increased economic output and improved quality of life. Compared to other intractable health problems, treating presbyopia is fairly inexpensive. The glasses can often be made for less than $2 per pair, and fittings are usually done by local workers who can be trained in just one day.
Misha Majbeen, Bangladesh country director for VisionSpring, a nonprofit organization that participated in the study, said a lack of resources is just one obstacle to increasing the distribution of reading glasses. In many villages in Bangladesh, community workers have to contend with the social stigma associated with wearing glasses, especially for women, she said.
Overall, women's health needs in Bangladesh have taken a backseat compared to men's health needs. “In our male-dominated society, if a man has a problem, he needs to respond immediately, whereas women can wait,” she said.
However, the impact of vision loss is particularly pronounced on women, who often bear the responsibility of earning additional income for their families in addition to childcare and housework, Majbeen said. “In some families, the time it takes to sew or clean, or the inability to remove all the stones from the rice, can lead to domestic violence,” she says.
VisionSpring distributes more than 2 million glasses annually across South Asia and Africa, up from 300,000 glasses in 2018.
The PLOS One study builds on previous research on tea pickers in India, which found that study participants who were given reading glasses were significantly more productive. The paper documents a randomized study published in The Lancet Global Health in 2018 that found workers who wore glasses were 22 percent more productive. The productivity of people over 50 increased by nearly 32%.
Agad Ali, 57, a Bangladeshi tailor from Manikganj town, was among those who received glasses as part of a study published this week. In an interview conducted by a community health worker and sent via email, he said that his worsening presbyopia has made it increasingly difficult to thread needles and sew clothes, making each tailoring task more difficult. Explained that the time required to complete has increased. Over time, he said, some of his customers went elsewhere and his income began to decline. “I felt so helpless,” he said.
Since receiving the glasses, he says his income has doubled. “These glasses are like my lifeline,” he told local health workers. “I can't do my job without them.”