WHO's World Report on Vision: key findings

The 2024 update to the World Health Organization's World Report on Vision paints a precise and troubling picture. Of the 2.2 billion people with vision impairment, at least one billion cases could have been prevented or remain untreated. The principal causes are concentrated among a small number of familiar conditions: unoperated cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, undetected glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and trachoma, which remains endemic in some regions.

The most striking feature of the report is the gap between countries. In high-income regions, cataract surgery is routine, eye care is accessible, and children receive school screenings. In low-income regions, the same conditions become disabling because people lack surgery, glasses, or simply an annual examination. France lies somewhere in the middle: rich in technology, but affected by regional inequalities in access to care that widen the gap between well-served departments and medical deserts.

Key figure. In France, 1.7 million people live with severe vision problems, including 207,000 blind people and 932,000 people with profound low vision, according to INSERM. Half of these situations could have been avoided through early screening.

The six leading causes of avoidable vision impairment

To understand what “avoidable” means, it helps to know where vision loss comes from. These are the six principal causes identified by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

1. Cataracts

Cataracts are the world's leading cause of reversible blindness. A 15-minute operation restores normal or near-normal vision in more than 95% of cases. France performs more than 800,000 procedures each year, yet the average delay between the first symptom and surgery remains about 18 months, often too long for older people who lose independence while waiting.

2. Uncorrected refractive errors

Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia can be corrected with the right pair of glasses. Yet hundreds of millions of people worldwide do not have them. Even in France, an estimated 1.5 million adults should wear corrective lenses but do not, because they have not had a recent eye examination.

3. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the silent thief of sight. The disease increases intraocular pressure and destroys the optic nerve without pain or early symptoms. Screening every two years from age 40 using tonometry can detect it, and eye drops can treat it in 90% of cases. Our guide to glaucoma and available support explains the options after diagnosis.

4. Diabetic retinopathy

This eye complication of diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness among working-age people, ages 40 to 65, in France, where four million people have diabetes. An annual retinal examination, fully covered for eligible long-term conditions in France, detects damage while it can still be treated with laser therapy or anti-VEGF injections. Our diabetic retinopathy page summarizes screening best practices.

5. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

AMD affects 8% of people in France over age 65 and 25% of those over 75. Anti-VEGF treatments such as Lucentis, Eylea, and Beovu considerably slow the wet form. Prevention also matters: stop smoking, which multiplies the risk by four; eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants; and protect your eyes from UV radiation.

6. Trachoma and preventable infections

Still present in 42 countries according to WHO, these infectious conditions are on track for global elimination by 2030 thanks to the SAFE strategy: Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement. France is no longer affected but contributes through international aid.

Prevention by age: three stages of life

Childhood: amblyopia, the invisible issue

Adulthood: an examination every two years

Between ages 20 and 40, an examination every five years is sufficient when there are no symptoms. From age 40, the interval shortens to every two years: this is when glaucoma, presbyopia, and the first signs of AMD can appear. People with diabetes or hypertension and patients taking long-term corticosteroids need an annual retinal examination at any age.

Older adulthood: annual examinations and adherence

After age 65, examinations should again become annual. Cataracts progress, AMD appears, and glaucoma needs close monitoring. Above all, adherence to treatment, particularly glaucoma drops, becomes a major issue because many older adults stop treatment when they cannot administer the drops independently. This is where home care and voice apps can make a meaningful difference.

Screening in France: how does it work?

France has a reasonably strong but uneven network of ophthalmology services. In 2026, the average wait for an ophthalmologist appointment is 87 days in metropolitan France, rising beyond six months in some rural areas. Several services are intended to improve access.

The Low Vision Care Network (RGSV)

This network coordinates ophthalmologists, orthoptists, and specialist opticians for patients with severe low vision. A multidisciplinary consultation provides a functional assessment, suitable equipment, and rehabilitation.

The MDPH pathway

Orthoptists as first-line practitioners

Since 2022, orthoptists in France have been allowed to renew prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses without an ophthalmologist for patients ages 16 to 42 who have no diagnosed condition. This eases waiting lists, provided patients can find a private-practice orthoptist nearby.

Innovations changing the landscape in 2026

AI in screening

Automated retinal-image analysis algorithms detect diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and AMD with sensitivity above 90%, comparable to a retinal specialist. Systems such as Retinai and IDx-DR, validated by the FDA and CE certified, are already used in primary care in the United States and Germany and are gradually arriving in France through pilot pharmacies.

Teleophthalmology

Teleophthalmology lets a patient in an underserved area consult an ophthalmologist remotely after a local orthoptist captures images. The OphdiaT network in the Paris region and several university-hospital pilots show that this can cut diabetic-retinopathy screening delays by a factor of three.

Visual-assistance apps

When prevention has not been enough and vision declines permanently, mobile apps offer valuable support alongside optical aids. Lumyeye reads text and labels aloud, describes scenes, and identifies objects and colors. It does not replace medical follow-up, but it restores day-to-day independence. That is also what World Health Day should mean: covering the full spectrum from prevention to support after vision loss.

Noteworthy French initiatives

The Eye Bank

Coordinated by the French Blood Establishment, the Eye Bank recovers corneas from deceased donors and redistributes them for transplant. In 2025, France performed more than 9,000 corneal transplants, restoring sight to people with keratoconus, keratitis, or the effects of chemical burns. The wait nevertheless remains longer than six months because of a shortage of donors.

MSF Vision and international missions

Every year, Médecins Sans Frontières sends several ophthalmology teams to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia for large cataract-surgery campaigns. A procedure costs about €50 in the field, an exceptional cost-benefit ratio measured in disability-adjusted life years.

Lions Clubs and the SightFirst program

Lions Clubs has been the leading private funder of the global fight against blindness since 1990. It has distributed more than $415 million, supported eight million cataract operations, and screened tens of millions of children. Lions Clubs also operates in France through local initiatives, including collecting used glasses and supporting specialist schools.

Lumyeye's commitment within this landscape

Lumyeye is not a medical-prevention organization: we do not operate or diagnose. Our role is in the continuity of support. When vision declines despite treatment, when blindness is established, or when an 18-month wait for surgery leaves someone struggling, the AI app helps with everyday tasks: reading a letter, identifying a medication, finding an object, crossing a street, or communicating.

Our commitment is to make this technology accessible financially, technically, and personally. To learn about our history and approach, read Lumyeye's story. To understand who the app is for, visit Who is it for?, which describes different user profiles.

April 7 reminds us of something simple: sight is precious and requires attention from childhood through old age. Make an appointment, talk about it with those around you, and check on the eye health of older parents. Prevention costs almost nothing; its absence can cost sight.

Sources and references

Article written by Alban Clochet, founder of Lumyeye. The medical information presented here is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you experience visual symptoms, consult your ophthalmologist.