Fact Sheet for Eye Transplant in India

Ø  India – home to world’s largest blind population: 1, 20, 00, 000

–         Cataract:                          55%

–         Refractive Errors:               27%

–         Corneal Blindness:              18%

Ø  80% Of Them Are Fully Curable

–         Cataract:                          CURABLE

–         Refractive Errors:               CURABLE

–         Corneal Blindness:              CURABLE (Through Transplantation of Corneas from Eye Donation)

Ø  But poor Cornea Donation Rate in India:

–         91 Lac deaths annually in India

–         1 donor gives sight to 2 people

–         182 Lac Potential Donations

–         Only 38000 Made Every Year

–         At this rate it will take 112 Years to eradicate blindness

Ø  Hurdles:

–         Lack of awareness on key issues:

·         Curability of corneal blindness

·         Need for eye donation

·         Eye donation avenues and processes

·         Superstition in Donor’s family

–         Lack of infrastructure:

·         Cornea Retrieval

·         Cornea Storage & Processing

·         Cornea Transplantation

“Enlighten someone’s world by donating your eyes” - Ashok Mahindru