Global review highlights urgent need for presbyopia awareness campaign

Uncorrected presbyopia is a widespread but underrecognized public health issue that significantly affects quality of life, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Despite its impact, awareness and access to proper eye care remain very low, according to a presentation at the 2025 ASCRS Annual Meeting.

The study, which examined data from several major medical databases, found that 88–99% of individuals in resource-limited settings lack both awareness and access to eye health services. Despite the daily challenges posed by near vision impairment, only 1.4% of those affected consult eye care professionals, often resorting instead to unregulated markets for vision correction.

Key risk factors for premature presbyopia included female gender, prolonged near work, sun exposure, and hyperopia. The review also linked severe near vision impairment to a loss of up to 3.3 Disability Adjusted Life Years.

To address this gap, researchers propose a Health Promotion and Awareness Framework focused on public education, routine vision screening, and improving presbyopia-related health literacy, to reduce disparities, prevent avoidable vision loss, and integrate presbyopia into broader eye health initiatives.

Reference
Hipsley A, et al. Global Burden and Quality of Life Impacts of Uncorrected Presbyopia: A Call to Action for a Health Promotion and Awareness Framework. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Annual Meeting; April 25–28, 2025; Los Angeles, CA.