Why 700 million in China are waiting for glasses, and how to fix the problem – a Hong Kong philanthropist’s vision
A lack of eye doctors in China, particularly in rural areas, and the increasing time spent staring at phone and computer screens, has left half the population suffering from bad sight. A charity sees solutions in its experience in Rwanda
Nearly half the people in China – an estimated 720 million – have uncorrected sight problems because they cannot get eye examinations, a recent study found. Ninety per cent of them just need a pair of glasses, its authors found. It was a problem that hampered the country’s social and economic development, they concluded.
The report was released last week by Clearly, a charity founded in 2016 by Hong Kong philanthropist James Chen.
Chen says two of the biggest reasons for the large number of people with uncorrected sight problems were the lack of specialist eye doctors, particularly in rural areas, and the increasing amount of time spent staring at computer and smartphone screens.
“Poor vision is the largest unaddressed disability in China,” says Chen, who led the research. “And the solution is simple – and invented centuries ago: glasses.”
Eyesight problems affect people all over the world, but especially those in developing countries. An estimated 2.5 billion people, or a third of the world’s population, need glasses but do not have any, according to Clearly. The estimate is based on analysis of data from more than 20 studies conducted in various countries.
