InSight
Enabling access to clear near vision for all
Presbyopia, or age-related farsightedness, is likely to occur in most individuals over the course of their lifetime
There are 800 million individuals worldwide suffering from uncorrected presbyopia. 300 million of them live in India.
$25 bn
Global productivity loss from uncorrected presbyopia
$14 bn
Productivity loss in India from uncorrected presbyopia
20%
Income boost from a pair of reading
glasses
34%
Productivity gain from a pair of reading glasses
a
Source:
– PROSPER report
– The Global Burden of Potential Productivity Loss from Uncorrected Presbyopia by Frick et al
$25 bn
Global productivity loss from uncorrected presbyopia
$14 bn
Productivity loss in India from uncorrected presbyopia
20%
Income boost from a pair of reading glasses
34%
Productivity gain from a pair of reading glasses
No savings (80% of income gets spent on food)
Socially and geographically excluded
Little to no access to social entitlements
85% of people with uncorrected presbyopia live in rural areas
Vision correction is not universally accessible and affordable
There are complex challenges which need to be solved
To meet the unmet need for reading glasses at scale within a reasonable timeframe, efforts must focus on large-scale distribution, securing funding for expansion, and fostering market demand for sustainable solutions for subsequent pairs of eyeglasses.
A three-pronged strategy is needed to solve the problem
Support to government
Scalable distribution
models
Catalytic philanthropy
India’s unique enabling conditions make this solution scalable
- Significant government spending on social schemes
- Several cadres with extensive on-the-ground reach and trust
- Eyeglasses are legally de-medicalised and can be availed without a prescription
Government of India has prioritised the most excluded
We are working with central ministries and state government to help these marginalised communities through the Economic Inclusion Program.
Our partners
Advisors
Dr. Indu Bhushan
Jayanth Bhuvaraghan
Jordan Kassalow
Our work with the government
100K+
Glasses Distributed
4
State Partnerships
Hear from our partners
Devendra Fadnavis
I am delighted to note that The/Nudge will be partnering with the Government of Maharashtra, specifically the district administration of Wardha District, to create a model of Presbyopia Diagnosis and Glasses distribution free for the entire district. Preventable blindness control is one of my core focuses, and this will contribute tremendously towards the same.
Nita Kejrewal
Households often have very low investment capacity and limited confidence to engage. There is a need for structured sequencing and a very concerted and specific effort before integration into mainstream SHG institutions. Time-bound, protected engagement is critical before mainstream institutional integration.
Smriti Sharan
The last mile is not a metaphor; it is a lived geography. It demands proximity, contextualisation, patience, and empathy in implementation – demonstrated ably from the work with single mothers in Meghalaya, to denotified Lodha Sabar communities in West Bengal to PVTG communities across states.
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