SAN FRANCISCO, September 2003 — Cataracts are the cause of nearly 50 percent of all global blindness, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
But almost 20 million people who need cataract surgery must go without.

The Academy has designated October as World Blindness Awareness Month and says that cataracts and other eye diseases, such as trachoma and onchocerciasis, will cause 100 million people to lose their sight by 2020 if nothing is done. More than 1.5 million people are blind because of vitamin A deficiency, measles, and other problems. And more than 135 million people are going through life without the means to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other refractive errors.

Despite the fact that we have the scientific knowledge to correct the situation, every five seconds a person goes blind, at an estimated economic cost of $28 billion a year. The Academy says it is addressing the problem of global blindness through its public service foundation, Eyecare America, which uses the volunteer services of member physicians for treatment and education.