WHO Urges Faster Action to Expand Access to Cataract Surgery Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries to accelerate efforts to ensure that millions of people living with cataract can access simple, sight-restoring surgery. A new study published in The Lancet Global Health highlights the scale of the challenge: nearly half of all people worldwide facing cataract-related blindness still lack access to surgery.¹

According to WHO, over the past two decades, global coverage of cataract surgery has increased by approximately 15%, even as ageing populations and a rising number of cases have driven up overall demand. New modelling suggests that coverage will grow by a further 8.4% during this decade. However, this pace of progress falls well short of what is needed to meet the World Health Assembly’s target of a 30% increase in coverage by 2030.

The study analyzed data from 68 country estimates for 2023 and 2024 and found stark regional and gender disparities. The African Region faces the largest gap, with three in four people who need cataract surgery remaining untreated. Across all regions, women are disproportionately affected, consistently experiencing lower access to care than men.

According to WHO, these gaps reflect long-standing structural barriers, including shortages and unequal distribution of trained eye care professionals, high out-of-pocket costs, long waiting times, and limited awareness or demand for surgery—even in places where services are available.

While age remains the primary risk factor for cataract, other contributors such as prolonged exposure to UV-B radiation, tobacco use, corticosteroid use, and diabetes can accelerate its development, increasing the burden on health systems.

WHO emphasizes that ending unnecessary blindness from cataract is both essential and achievable. Countries can make rapid gains by integrating vision screening and eye examinations into primary health care, investing in essential surgical infrastructure, and expanding and better distributing the eye-care workforce—particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Targeted strategies to prioritize women and marginalized communities will also be critical to reducing persistent inequities and ensuring that improvements in access benefit everyone. WHO is urging governments, civil society, and development partners to build on existing momentum, address gender and geographic disparities, and place underserved populations at the center of national eye-care plans.

Reference

1. World Health Organization. Global coverage and inequities in cataract surgery: a modelling study based on 68 country estimates, 2023–2024. Lancet Glob Health. 2026;Published February 2026. doi:[add DOI]