APAC focuses on bridging eye care gaps

Roche APAC Vision Health Survey in 2025 reveals a stark disconnect between vision health concerns and preventive action across Asia Pacific (APAC) - while 91 per cent of adults over 40 express concerns about their vision health, only 28 per cent report undergoing annual or more frequent eye exams.

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Despite significant advancements in eye care, technological breakthroughs, and increasing global awareness, vast inequities persist in access to quality vision services. Thus, there is a clear need to include eye care in public health plans with coordinated, and accountable pathways. Let's take a look at the current challenges and future possibilities for all stakeholders to prioritise and invest in eye healthcare in APAC.

Over 2.2 billion people globally live with some form of vision impairment or blindness, and alarmingly, at least 1 billion of these cases could have been prevented or are still unaddressed. The challenge is not merely about understanding the scope of the problem, but about transforming insights into practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions. Turning data, research, and innovations into meaningful action lies at the heart of efforts to advance vision health globally.

At the macro level, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that poor vision leads to over $400 billion in lost productivity annually. The economic and social costs extend further when factoring in caregiving burdens and reduced independence among older adults. Many eye diseases that develop with age are impossible for individuals to detect on their own without proper vision screening, such as a dilated eye exam. As people get older, those who suffer from vision loss face an increasing overall burden from it.