The State government has partnered with RestoringVision to roll out a programme aimed at providing free vision screening and reading glasses to citizens aged 40 years and above across the State, beginning with Yadgir district.
The initiative, implemented through Ayushman Arogya Mandir Sub Centres, marks the first such collaboration in India to address presbyopia at scale at the sub-centre level. In the first phase, about one lakh reading glasses will be distributed free of cost across 216 government health facilities in Yadgir, covering hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres and sub-centres.
The programme is expected to benefit nearly 3.28 lakh residents aged 40 and above in the district. Officials said Yadgir was chosen for the pilot as the initial supply is sufficient to meet the district’s near-vision correction needs.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia, an age-related decline in the ability to focus on nearby objects, is a leading cause of vision impairment globally. Health officials estimate that nearly 28% of Yadgir’s population is affected by the condition, which can be corrected with simple reading glasses.
