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Breaking the Myths and Developing Global Change: The Truth About Eye Donation

by | Oct 1, 2025 | Manuscripts | 0 comments

Gajalakshmi G, B. Optom.

Tutor, SRM Medical College & Research Centre, Chennai, India

 

Restoring vision after death through eye donation is a profound and noble act that can transform lives. It stands as one of the simplest contributions to humanity. To combat preventable blindness, the government of India launched the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) in 1976, later expanding it in 2017 to address all visual impairments under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCB and VI), aiming to reduce preventable blindness to 0.25% by 2025. (1)

Global Vision Crisis

The World Health Organisation estimates that 285 million people have vision impairments, most of whom are over 50. The global corneal transplant shortage is especially severe in India, which has the greatest corneal blindness rate. (2) As of 2023, 2.2 billion individuals globally experience vision impairment, with 1 billion cases being preventable or untreated. (3) However, India still faces over 120,000 cases of corneal blindness, with more than 25,000 new cases each year, highlighting the significant gap between potential donors and recipients. (4) According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Vision Atlas, the number of people with vision loss is expected to rise by 55% to 1.8 billion by 2050. (5)

Percentage Region
6.80% North America
8.50% Sub-Saharan Africa
9.90% South Asia
12.90% Latin America
17.30% Eastern Europe
17.50% East Asia
18.20% South-East Asia

Table 1: IAPB Vision Atlas: Prevalence of Vision Loss

Figure 1: Global Vision Loss Projection – IAPB Data

What is Stopping Eye Donation? Myths, Fears, and Barriers

Cultural, religious, and general misconceptions are some of the obstacles that prevent people from donating their eyes. It is still discouraged in some traditions, and many people mistakenly think it disfigures faces. (6-8) Family members may object because they have not talked about it beforehand or for emotional reasons. (6,7) Although the process is free, some believe it is costly. (7) Donations are also limited by a fear of influencing reincarnation and a misunderstanding of consent, such as the idea that only legal heirs can give their approval. (8) Resolving these misconceptions is crucial to boosting eye donation.

The Real Barrier

Barriers to eye donation in India are not primarily cultural or religious, but stem from misinformation and a lack of clear information. Many people are unaware of eye bank locations, contact details, the specific part of the eye that is removed (only the cornea), eligibility criteria, and the fact that one donor can restore sight to two blind individuals. (6-8)

Key Strategies to Boost Eye Donation

  1. Early initiation: Awareness campaign integrated into health programs within educational institutions.
  2. Effective utilisation of media: Television, newspapers, and social media to spread accurate information. (7-9)
  3. Training health professionals for promoting organ donation. (7,8)
  4. Supporting the Hospital Corneal Retrieval Program (HCRP) to increase corneal tissue availability. (9,10)
  5. Organising eye donation fortnights, where corneal transplant recipients share their experiences, can inspire others and reduce stigma, leading to action. (8)
  6. A structured dual counselling process and active participation from hospitals, emergency departments, morgues, and funeral homes in the eye donation process. (12)

Conclusion

Eye donation represents hope, compassion, and legacy, offering the gift of sight to those in need. It reflects social responsibility and bridges the gap between life and vision. Healthcare professionals and responsible citizens must actively share knowledge, debunk myths, and raise awareness to encourage informed decisions. Building a culture of trust and generosity can increase donations and change lives.

References

  1. Verma R, Khanna P, Prinja S, Rajput M, Arora V. The national programme for control of blindness in India. The Australasian medical journal. 2011 Jan 31;4(1):1.
  2. World Health Organization. WHO releases new global estimates on visual impairment.
  3. Etya’ale D. Blindness and vision impairment. In: Global Health Essentials. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2023 Sep 8. p. 209–13.
  4. Joshi RS, Goel P, Adatiya VH, Seth AS, Rasal AV. Eye Donation: Knowledge, Beliefs, Awareness, and Willingness Among Ambulance Drivers in Central India. Clinical Ophthalmology. 2023 Dec 31:1263-9.
  5. Bourne R, Steinmetz JD, Flaxman S, Briant PS, Taylor HR, Resnikoff S, Casson RJ, Abdoli A, Abu-Gharbieh E, Afshin A, Ahmadieh H. Trends in 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. 2021 Feb 1;9(2):e130-43.
  6. Krishnaiah S, Kovai V, Nutheti R, Shamanna BR, Thomas R, Rao GN. Awareness of eye donation in the rural population of India. Indian journal of ophthalmology. 2004 Jan 1;52(1):73-8.
  7. Chumkasian W, Fernandez R, Petsoglou C, Green H, Taylor C, Vlahu-Gjorgievska E, Win KT. Prevalence and predictors of knowledge and attitudes toward eye donation among the general population: a systematic review. Cornea. 2023 Apr 1;42(4):520-8.
  8. Kacheri A, Mudhol R, Chougule S, Reny R, Kamath S, Kamath R. Eye donation: Awareness, knowledge, willingness, and barriers among paramedical and allied health science students at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. The Scientific World Journal. 2022;2022(1):5206043.
  9. Acharya M, Farooqui JH, Dave A, Chaku D, Ganguly KK, Das A, Mathur U. Eye donation in north India: Trends, awareness, influences and barriers. Indian journal of ophthalmology. 2019 Oct 1;67(10):1570-4.
  10. Basak SK. Data gap: Transplantable corneal blindness, current transplantation, and eye banking in India. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2023 Sep 1;71(9):3125-7.
  11. Saini JS. Realistic targets and strategies in eye banking. Indian journal of ophthalmology. 1997 Jul 1;45(3):141-2.
  12. Sharma N, Nathawat R, Parihar JK. Policy framework for advancing eye banking and cornea transplantation. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2021 Oct 1;69(10):2563-4.

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