#15 | WHO: One in Two People Facing Cataract Blindness Still Need Access to Surgery

In this episode of the GMJ Podcast — the official podcast of the Georgian Medical Journal, we examine a new call from the World Health Organization (WHO) urging countries to expand access to cataract surgery to prevent avoidable blindness worldwide.Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness globally, affecting more than 94 million people. Despite the availability of effective treatment, nearly half of those experiencing cataract-related blindness still lack access to life-changing surgical care. Cataract occurs when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision and progressive loss of sight. The condition is strongly associated with aging, and the global number of cases continues to rise as populations grow older. The WHO emphasizes that cataract surgery is a simple procedure that typically takes around 15 minutes and can restore sight almost immediately. It is widely considered one of the most cost-effective medical interventions in modern healthcare. However, access to treatment remains highly unequal. In some regions, particularly parts of Africa, three out of four people needing cataract surgery still do not receive it, highlighting major disparities in eye-care services. The episode explores several key public health issues highlighted by the WHO:• Cataract as the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide• The effectiveness and affordability of cataract surgery• Global inequalities in access to eye-care services• The importance of integrating eye examinations into primary healthcare• Workforce development and training of eye-care professionalsThe WHO calls on governments and health systems to strengthen national eye-care services by expanding surgical capacity, investing in equipment and integrating vision screening into primary healthcare systems.Improving access to cataract surgery could restore sight for millions of people and significantly reduce the global burden of avoidable blindness.Original WHO source discussed in this episode:https://www.who.int/news/item/11-02-2026-one-in-two-people-facing-cataract-blindness-need-access-to-life-changing-surgeryThe GMJ Podcast accompanies peer-reviewed publications and global health policy discussions published in the Georgian Medical Journal.Journal website:https://gmj.ge/index.php/pub/index#გიორგიფხაკაძე #drpkhakadze #sheniekimi