Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science Cover Image for Volume 62, Issue 8
June 2021
Volume 62, Issue 8
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2021
Cataract-related blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over time in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Konrad Pesudovs
    Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Van C Lansingh
    Help Me See Inc, New York, New York, United States
    Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmologia, Queretaro, Mexico
  • John H Kempen
    Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    MyungSung Christian Medical Center (MCM) Eye Unit, MyungSung Medical School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Jaimie D Steinmetz
    Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington, United States
  • Paul S Briant
    Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington, United States
  • Rohit Varma
    Southern California Eye Clinic, CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Ningli Wang
    Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing, China
  • Jost Jonas
    Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Serge Resnikoff
    Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Hugh R Taylor
    The University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Tasanee Braithwaite
    Schools of Life Course Sciences and Immunology & Microbial Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
    The Medical Eye Unit, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, United Kingdom
  • Maria Vittoria Cicinelli
    Ophthalmology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Unita di Oculistica, Milano, Lombardia, Italy
  • Theo Vos
    Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington, United States
  • Rupert R A Bourne
    Anglia Ruskin University Vision and Eye Research Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Konrad Pesudovs, None; Van Lansingh, None; John Kempen, None; Jaimie Steinmetz, None; Paul Briant, None; Rohit Varma, None; Ningli Wang, None; Jost Jonas, None; Serge Resnikoff, None; Hugh Taylor, None; Tasanee Braithwaite, None; Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, None; Theo Vos, None; Rupert Bourne, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  Brien Holden Vision Institute, Fondation Théa, Lions Clubs International Foundation, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Gates Foundation, Sightsavers, University of Heidelberg
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 3523. doi:
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      Konrad Pesudovs, Van C Lansingh, John H Kempen, Jaimie D Steinmetz, Paul S Briant, Rohit Varma, Ningli Wang, Jost Jonas, Serge Resnikoff, Hugh R Taylor, Tasanee Braithwaite, Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, Theo Vos, Rupert R A Bourne; Cataract-related blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over time in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2021;62(8):3523.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, we report extensively updated estimates of global vision loss burden due to cataract presenting estimates for 2020, including changes over time.

Methods : Population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018 were collated by the Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study in the Global Vision Database. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate age-standardised prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity from <6/18 (20/60) to 3/60 (10/200)) and blindness (<3/60 (10/200) and/or less than 10° visual field around central fixation) caused by cataract by age, global region, and year. Data sparsity at younger ages required the analysis focused on adults aged ≥50 years.

Results : In 2020, worldwide an estimated 15.2 million (12.7-17.9) people aged 50+ years were blind, and a further 78.8 million (67.2-91.4) had MSVI, due to cataract. There had been an increase of 29.7% in cases of cataract blindness and 93.1% in cases of MSVI since 2000. Over the same period, age-standardised prevalence of cataract blindness decreased by 27.5% and MSVI increased by 7.2%. Between 2000 and 2020, the age-standardised prevalence of cataract blindness in males decreased to a greater extent than in females (-31.8% vs -24.8%); similarly the increase in cataract MSVI was less for males (+4.7%) than females (+8.9%). Among GBD super-regions, South Asia had the highest cataract blindness and MSVI burden in 2020 (blind: 2.23%; 1.89-2.61, MSVI: 9.46%; 8.11-10.93). The most profound reductions in cataract blindness rates between 2000 and 2020 occurred in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania (-43.0%), North Africa and Middle East (-40.0%), and South Asia (-36.5%).

Conclusions : The World Health Assembly Global Action Plan target of a 25% reduction from 2010 to 2019 in avoidable vision impairment (WHA 66.3 24/5/2013) was met for cataract blindness but not for MSVI. However, decreases in prevalence were more than offset by global population growth and aging, leaving more people cataract blind and visually impaired than ever before. Globally, immense increases in resource mobilization for treating cataract are required.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

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