MADURAI: Nearly 40% of Indian children could need spectacles by 2050, up from 14% today (September 19), mainly due to overexposure to digital gadgets, said Dr RD Ravindran, Chairman of Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.
The prevalence of myopia among children has increased considerably after the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was just 4% before COVID-19. Within six years, the percentage has increased to 14% among Indian children, which is a serious concern as it will affect their eye health and quality of life,” he said.
Globally, the prevalence of myopia among children in China and Japan has already reached 40%, he said. “But the good news is that it is preventable if children are exposed to sunlight,” said Ravindran.
Aravind Eye Hospital is addressing the issue through its outreach programme in schools. “Regular exposure to natural light significantly reduces the risk of children developing myopia. That is why we insist that school managements and teachers encourage children to spend more time outdoors and take part in sports activities,” said Dr G Nachiar, Director, Aravind Eye Care System.
Moreover, even if teachers insist on these measures, parents need to cooperate to bring about behavioural changes in children, Nachiar stressed. Ravindran further said the government should take policy decisions on the issue.
Aravind Eye Hospital, which will celebrate its 50th year of service in “sight” on September 20 (Sunday), has been providing eye care to everyone irrespective of their economic background.
The journey, which started in Madurai in 1976 with just 11 beds under its founder, Dr G Venkataswamy, has grown into the Aravind Eye Care System, providing quality eye care to millions of people in India and across the world.
Since its inception, the hospital has stressed outreach programmes in rural areas, with the aim of eliminating needless blindness, as many people are unaware of eye-related problems. According to data up to March 2026, Aravind Eye Hospitals have recorded 9.07 crore outpatient visits and 1.16 crore surgeries since their inception.
“Our founder always emphasised showing compassion and understanding the socio-economic and cultural background of each patient while providing treatment,” said Nachiar.
“Since our inception, we have been performing surgeries free of cost for poor people or at subsidised rates. For instance, in 2025-26, we performed eight lakh surgeries, of which 48% were free of cost or performed at subsidised rates,” said Ravindran.
Over 3,000 free eye screening camps are conducted every year to reach people directly. The hospital has also played a significant role in empowering rural girls who could not pursue higher education after Class 12. “We have trained nearly 20,000 rural girls as paramedical staff over the years and provided them with employment opportunities at the hospital,” said Nachiar.