Today is the International Day of Education (24 January 2025), and yet in low- and middle-income countries, millions of children are missing out on their education because they can’t access the eyecare they need.
Eyecare: a missing link in inclusive education

According to the Global Burden of Disease, 17.8 million children between the age of five and seventeen have an uncorrected refractive error.[1] With limited and unaffordable eyecare services these children are highly disadvantaged in school, often unable to see the blackboard, or their own work on the desk right in front of them. More often than not, this results in significant struggles with their learning, low academic performance, and poor school attendance with many even dropping out from education altogether.
To mark World Sight Day on 10 October 2024, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Seva Foundation co-published new research that emphasises the shocking learning and economic productivity losses that arise on a global scale from poor vision in school children. Today, marking the International Day of Education, we highlight the staggering takeaways of this research.
Children with poor vision learn approximately half as much in school as their peers with good or corrected vision
The IAPB and Seva Foundation estimate that this amounts to 6.3 million years of schooling being lost globally, with a predicted future economic productivity loss of $173 billion per year (PPP, international dollars). But in turn, early intervention to correct a child’s vision in school could boost their individual lifetime earnings by up to 78%. The majority (83%) of all schooling loss due to uncorrected refractive error is experienced by low-and-middle-income countries.
The cost of providing glasses and vision correction to children is low
On the other hand, the new research also highlights that the cost of providing glasses and vision correction to children is expected to be low compared to the estimated benefits. An economic modelling analysis shows that the return on investment is estimated at $65 per $1 investment in China and $42 per $1 in India.
The results of this study indicate the perilous consequences of neglecting refractive errors in school children worldwide, but most of all in low-and-middle income countries. Yet, it reveals the powerful investment opportunities that lie in providing glasses for children so that no child has to go without an education.
Advocating for change at CBM
At CBM, we have long advocated for inclusive eye health policies which are critical to promote development gains. While the IAPB report demonstrates this successfully in the area of education, the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health showed in a series of reviews how eye health is in fact strongly interrelated with Sustainable Development Goals set in the Agenda 2030. This becomes especially relevant when we consider the major health inequities still faced by people with disabilities around the world. Reasons for this are manifold and include unjust barriers to health care in general (for example financial, physical, attitudinal, or communicative barriers), as well as discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, age or ethnic and cultural backgrounds. These inequalities spread through every part of the health sector and are also present in the field of eye health care. Ending exclusion, stigma, and discrimination early, for example by investing in education for children with disabilities, is key to breaking the cycle of disability and poverty in the long term.[3]
On this International Day of Education, we should feel encouraged to unite globally to champion inclusive eyecare for all. The IAPB and Seva Foundation’s report is startling, but underscores a powerful truth: addressing refractive errors can significantly advance the right to education for every child. By investing in basic eyecare we also invest in inclusive education, enabling more children to reach their potential, fostering economic growth and enriching our societies. Together, we can make profound difference.
Read more about CBM Global’s eyecare work here.
[1] Global Burden of Disease 2019. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. 2021. http://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare – Cited in IAPB and Seva Foundation (2024) ‘Better Education In Sight’ report.
[2] https://cbm-global.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Assesment-Inclusiveness-in-Eye-Health-Report.pdf
[3] Watters, L. (2022) Value for Money – Why investing in children with disabilities is worth every penny, AbleChild Africa Value-for-Money-Why-investing-in-children-with-disabilities-is-worth-every-penny.pdf