08/08/2025
According to the World Health Organization, blindness of the cornea is the 4th leading cause of blindness globally (5.1%), and is one of the major causes of visual deficiency after cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.
Trachoma is one of the main causes of corneal scarring and is responsible for blindness or visual impairment in nearly 2.0 million individuals. Ocular trauma and ulcerations also cause 1.5 to 2.0 million new cases every year. Onchocerciasis and leprosy are still significant causes of blindness, affecting approximately 250,000 individuals each. Traditional eye medicines have also been implicated as a major risk factor in the current epidemic of corneal ulceration and thus corneal blindness in developing countries.
Additionally, each year, more than 350,000 children are born with or develop infections at a young age, which cause corneal blindness.
(Source: Jeng & Ahmad, 2020)
The burden of corneal blindness on the individual and the wider community can be huge, particularly as it tends to affect people at a younger age that other blinding conditions such as cataract and glaucoma. It also disproportionately affects poor rural communities, because of the increased risk of eye injuries from contaminated objects such as plant material, limited access to treatment, and higher prevalence of communicable diseases.
(Source: Burton, 2009)
