Experts Warn Of Alarming Rise In Preventable Corneal Blindness Among Indian Youth

In a concerning shift, health experts are sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in ‘corneal blindness’ among teenagers and young adults in India.

Once primarily seen among the elderly, this condition is now striking people under 30 in growing numbers, according to experts at the Indian Society of Cornea and Kerato-Refractive Surgeons (ISCKRS) meeting held in New Delhi.

Corneal blindness occurs when the cornea, the eye’s clear, outer layer, becomes scarred or cloudy, often due to trauma, infections, or nutritional deficiencies.

Though serious, it is largely preventable with timely care.

Experts at the ISCKRS summit revealed that India sees between 20,000 and 25,000 new cases of corneal blindness every year, a number that is steadily increasing.

Prof Rajesh Sinha, Professor of Ophthalmology at AIIMS New Delhi, highlighted that more young people are losing their vision to avoidable causes such as untreated injuries, simple infections, and lack of awareness.

“We are witnessing a dangerous shift. Young individuals are turning blind due to conditions that could easily be prevented with basic intervention,” he warned.

Causes: Injuries, Deficiencies, and Delay

Experts have identified trauma-related injuries, especially in agriculture, manual labour, or industrial settings, as leading causes that particularly affect youth.

People often neglect these injuries or treat them with unverified home remedies, which leads to severe corneal infections and scarring.

Vitamin A deficiency, still prevalent in rural India, is another major contributor to corneal damage in children and adolescents.

Experts say poor nutrition, combined with low awareness and delayed diagnosis, is fuelling this crisis.

Dr Ikeda Lal urged India to treat youth corneal blindness as a public health emergency.

“It is unacceptable that in 2025, we are still losing thousands of young eyes to preventable causes. We need a national strategy supported by community awareness,” she said.

Dr Lal also advocated for tele-ophthalmology, mobile eye clinics, and school-based screening programmes to bring early detection and care to underserved regions.

“Even minor symptoms like redness or blurred vision must not be ignored. By the time many reach tertiary hospitals, the damage is irreversible,” she noted.

Corneal opacities are now India’s second leading cause of blindness. Experts stress the need for awareness and preventive care.

The battle against preventable corneal blindness, they say, must begin with early detection, rural outreach, and national-level policy focus.

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