Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is characterized by a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve and visual field. The human eye is filled with a clear liquid which is made continuously and then drained away, always keeping the same amount of liquid in the eye. When the opening that allows the liquid to drain is closed, more and more liquid will build up in the eye increasing the pressure.

Over time, this increased pressure can damage the eye and cause reduced vision and then blindness which cannot be reversed. Commonly, glaucoma presents no symptoms and once vision is lost, it's permanent, which is why it's so critical to get regular eye screenings to detect the eye condition as early as possible.

In communities around the world, our long-term goal is to increase the quality of eye care available including better access to screenings, and to build capacity in managing the condition once diagnosed.

According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness it has been estimated that by 2020 there were approximately 76 million people with glaucoma. However, most forms of glaucoma do not show symptoms in the early stages and therefore patients often present for treatment only after vision loss has occurred. This means the number of people with glaucoma is much larger than the figures presented here.

It is estimated that by 2040 the number of people living with glaucoma-induced blindness or vision loss will rise to 112 million (Tham et al., 2014). These figures are set to rise, unless improved screening and effective treatment strategies are successful.

Training & innovation

Through our global projects, our expert volunteers are providing invaluable training to eye health teams around the world to better understand and treat glaucoma, both in-person and online through our telemedicine platform Cybersight.

Strengthening eye health systems

The best way to prevent sight loss caused by glaucoma is by detecting it and diagnosing it early through screenings. Around the world, we're building the infrastructure and scaling up capacity to provide better access to eye health services including screenings.

During Glaucoma Awareness Month, we'd like to pay a special thanks to all of our volunteers, partners and supporters, who have enabled us to improve the quality of eye care for people impacted by glaucoma across the world.

With your ongoing support, we've been able to detect and manage this leading cause of avoidable blindness more effectively and prevent further damage to their sight.