BALTIMORE, Jun 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Uncorrected vision -- usually
treated with an eye exam and glasses -- costs $269 billion annually in lost
productivity worldwide, U.S. researchers said.
The study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, was
conducted by researchers from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of School of
Public Health in Baltimore, Australia's International Center for Eyecare
Education and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and the Vision
Research Institute in Africa.
The study estimated nearly 158 million people globally suffer with vision
impairment resulting from uncorrected refractive error -- which can usually be
eliminated with an eye examination and a pair of eyeglasses.
"The economic gains that could be made if eyeglasses were provided to everyone
in need are substantial," study author Kevin Frick of Johns Hopkins said in a
statement.
"The Western Pacific region, which includes China and Vietnam, has the highest
estimated number of cases of uncorrected refractive error at 62 million and is
responsible for almost half of the potential loss of productivity. The Southeast
Asia region, encompassing Bangladesh, India and Nepal, has 48.7 million cases."
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