Imagine being in a classroom where everything is blurry. This is the daily reality for many children who don't have access to glasses.
In 2020, an estimated 510 million people worldwide had uncorrected presbyopia (about 6.5% of the global population), 295 million had moderate to severe vision impairment (3.8%), 258 million had mild impairment (3.3%), and 43 million were blind (0.6%). Altogether, roughly 1.1 billion people—around 14% of the world’s population—were living with some form of vision impairment. By 2050, these numbers are projected to rise sharply, totaling about 1.76 billion people, or 18% of the global population, affected by vision problems.1
The growing reliance on digital technology and increased screen time are key factors contributing to this rise in myopia, and this rate is expected to continue rising in the future. However, access to vision care remains limited in many countries. Mexico ranks among the top ten countries worldwide with the highest number of people affected by visual impairment. Currently, it is estimated that there are 16 million people in Mexico living with visual impairment, representing 12.1% of the total population.2
Economic consequences of visual impairment
Although the negative effects of visual impairment are often less visible in society, vision problems affect nearly every aspect of daily life. Numerous studies have shown that poor visual health is linked to a higher risk of injuries, accidents, and even mental health issues. Individuals with visual impairment face an increased risk of falls, cognitive decline, dementia, and depression. Meta-analyses indicate that visual impairment significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality, including deaths from traffic accidents.3
The lack of proper vision correction has far-reaching consequences, even in terms of economic outcomes. For example, in a study conducted in Assam, India, researchers randomly provided free near-vision glasses to half of a group of tea workers. Those who received the glasses showed higher productivity, measured by the total amount of tea picked per day, compared to those who did not receive them.4 Thisfinding highlights how visual impairment can reduce workers’ productivity. Although this study reflects a specific context, it highlights how visual health plays a crucial role in overall labor productivity. According to a recent report by Blutitude, the annual productivity loss in Mexico due to moderate to severe visual impairment and blindness among the working-age population (ages 15–64) is estimated at 50.007 billion pesos. 5
Ensuring early vision screening and access to eyeglasses is essential for children’s development—especially for families who cannot afford them. Refractive errors, which cause blurred vision, are largely hereditary, with genetics accounting for between 30% and 80% of cases, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty. 6 Providing vision care in schools is one of the most effective ways to reach all children, ensuring that those from disadvantaged backgrounds receive the help they need.
Existing research shows that providing eyeglasses can help students learn better. For example, a study conducted in schools in China found that providing free eyeglasses to children improved their test scores by 0.11–0.16 standard deviations (SD). 7 Later studies have reported a range of effects across different settings and academic areas (e.g., math vs. language).
One organization leading efforts in visual health in Mexico is Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor, which has worked for more than 27 years to close the gap in access to vision care. It has provided free eye exams to over 18 million students in public primary and secondary schools and distributed more than 6.6 million pairs of glasses.² Most diagnoses involve common issues like myopia and astigmatism, but the program also helps detect serious conditions—such as cataracts—early, preventing long-term effects on children’s learning and well-being.
Many other organizations are also addressing visual health. With growing attention to this often-overlooked aspect of well-being, I hope this article encourages greater awareness of visual health—not only for ourselves but also for those around us and for future generations.
- Bourne, R., Steinmetz, J. D., Flaxman, S., Briant, P. S., Taylor, H. R., Resnikoff, S., … & Tareque, M. I. (2021). Trends in the prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. The Lancet Global Health, 9(2), e130–e143.
- Same as footnote #1.
- Ehrlich, J. R., Ramke, J., Macleod, D., Burn, H., Lee, C. N., Zhang, J. H., . . . et al. (2021). Association between vision impairment and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Global Health. Piyasena, P., Olvera-Herrera, V. O., Chan, V. F., Clarke, M., Wright, D. M., MacKenzie, G., . . . Congdon, N. (2021). Vision impairment and traffic safety outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 9 (10), e1411–e1422.
- Reddy, P. A., Congdon, N., MacKenzie, G., Gogate, P., Wen, Q., Jan, C., . . . et al. (2018). Effect of providing reading glasses on productivity among rural Indian tea workers with presbyopia (PROSPER): a randomized trial. The Lancet Global Health, 6 (9), e1019–e1027.
- International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. (2025). Proposals to Build a Mexico with Visual Health 2024–2030: Ten Strategies to Build a Future without Blindness and Visual Impairment [Report]. https://www.iapb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ten-Strategies-to-Build-a-Future-without-Blindness-and-Visual-Disability.pdf
Author information
Dr. Akito Kamei
School of Government and Economics at the Universidad Panamericana
