SDG 3: Enhancing well-being with improved vision

By treating and preventing vision loss, Orbis International is

advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

In 2022, Orbis published comprehensive research showing that children with visual impairment are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem than are children without vision issues.

This is because they tend to participate in fewer physical activities, have lower academic achievement, and are more socially isolated than their peers without visual impairment.

The study found that children with myopia (near-sightedness) displayed higher depression scores than their peers. Ironically, myopia is the cheapest, safest, and easiest cause of vision loss to treat – simply requiring a pair of glasses. The study also revealed that correcting strabismus and misalignment of the eyes led to significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.

However, many insurance systems label strabismus surgery as a cosmetic procedure and refuse to cover the cost. Through sharing strong evidence of the mental health impact on children, Orbis aims to help change these policies.

With an estimated 19 million children under the age of 14 living with visual impairment worldwide, these findings are significant and merit further study and concerted action to reduce this global burden.

Orbis has launched a new randomised trial in Liaoning, in rural northeastern China, to test definitively whether providing free glasses to secondary school students reduces their burden of depression and anxiety. In rural western China and in migrant worker populations, some 80% of children requiring glasses do not own or use them.

This groundbreaking study, called SWISH (See Well to Stay in School), will use a randomised design to compare the mental health status of children who receive glasses immediately versus those who will receive prescriptions only, and then be given glasses at the end of the two-year study

Similarly, the ongoing CLEVER (Cognitive Level Enhancement through Vision Exams and Refraction) trial in India, supported by Orbis, explores how providing eyeglasses for reading and distance vision to older people in the community can help prevent cognitive decline as they age.

According to estimates from the Global Burden of Disease, dementia, or decline in cognitive functioning, affects 57 million people worldwide, expected to grow to 153 million by 2050. Poor vision is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. CLEVER is designed to answer the question definitively of whether poor vision in fact causes dementia. A positive answer will help to unlock an inexpensive new option for preventing this major threat to healthy aging. CLEVER will measure three-year change in cognition among elderly participants and determine whether providing free glasses can enhance their quality of life, reduce falls, decrease depression, and improve social interaction and physical activity, all of which are potential pathways to reducing the risk of dementia cost-effectively.

Poor eye health has a far-reaching impact on the health and well-being of children and adults. By presenting convincing trial evidence that low-cost vision care reduces the burden of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety in children and dementia in older adults, Orbis aims to inspire governments and other stakeholders to invest in eye health as a means of promoting well-being at all ages.

If you would like to learn more about how our work supports the SDGs, or are interested in funding any of the programs mentioned on this page, please email [email protected].