Held on date not confirmed

April 1 to 7 is observed as Prevention of Blindness Week in India. It is observed to alert and awaken the society towards various factors which causes blindness. The week also educates people about various eye injuries, visual impairments, their prevention, cure and treatment. A nationwide effort through free eye check up clinics/detection camps, teachers, social workers and health personnel is organised to disseminate proper eye hygiene. Prevention of Blindness Week in India is organised by National Society for the Prevention of Blindness-India (NSPB-I) along with the support of state and local branches.

Blindness in India: Some Glaring Facts

• Statistics have revealed that India is home to largest number of blind people in the world.
• Over 15 million people are blind in India out of the world’s 37 million blind (2007 records).
• One out of every three people in India is blind.
• The major causes of blindness in India are malnutrition, trachoma & cataract among others. Other causes include shortage of optometrists and donated eyes.
• Deficiency of Vitamin A is the leading cause of childhood blindness.
• The most common cause for blindness across the country is cataract.
• Prevalence of blindness is high in states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• In absolute terms, more than two thirds of blind persons are in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

History of Prevention of Blindness Week

National Society for the Prevention of Blindness was founded in 1960 (Under the Societies Registration Act of 1860) with Jawaharlal Nehru and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur being its founding patrons. NSPB is an entirely voluntary organisation receiving funds through contributions and donations. NSPB partners actively with Sight Savers, Rotary International and other large corporate firms. The Indian government associated itself with the global initiative, "Vision 2020: The Right To Sight", launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness and other NGOs to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. India was also the first country to seek a soft loan from International Development Agency of the World Bank for control of blindness.

Events and Activities

On this day various institutions and organisation both government and private, organise:

• Centre and Community Health Centres organise checking for refractive errors and providing free spectacles to needy patients.
• Distribution of free educational material amongst the masses
• Educational activities in the community are held
• Eye care and eye ailment seminars
• Exhibitions on eye health
• Free eye camps
• Prevention of preventable congenital eye diseases by vaccinating adolescent girls for Rubella & Measles
• Posters, hoardings and colour leaflets / folders on various topics are displayed and distributed
• Primary Health Schools hold visual health screenings
• Special cataract detection camps are organised
• Training and awareness workshops are organised by various health centres
• Visual Screening of industrial workers

‘Eye Banks and Corneal Transplantation' had been chosen as theme for 2012.

Holiday Status - It is not a Holiday.