Bengaluru: State govt will provide free vision screening and reading glasses to citizens aged 40 and above across the state to tackle presbyopia.Presbyopia is an age-related condition that affects the ability to see nearby objects and is a leading cause of vision impairment globally, affecting an estimated 826 million people.Govt has partnered with Restoring Vision, a global non-profit, to roll out the programme, which will be implemented through Ayushman Arogya Mandir Sub Centres (AAM-SCs), marking the first time presbyopia care is being integrated at the sub-centre level in India, according to officials.Pilot in YadgirIn its initial phase, the initiative will be launched in Yadgir district, where around 1 lakh reading glasses will be distributed free to 216 govt health facilities, covering hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres and sub-centres. The programme targets nearly 3.3 lakh residents aged over 40 in the district.The initiative is based on recommendations of a team involving World Health Organisation (WHO) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which assessed Karnataka’s ASHA Kirana model in Oct 2025. The team recommended establishing sustainable presbyopia screening at the primary-care level, noting that over 30% of adults needing reading glasses lack access to them.Under the programme, trained community health officers and auxiliary nurse midwives will screen individuals using standardised charts. Eligible beneficiaries will receive reading glasses on the spot, with data recorded through GOK Spectacle app. The initiative includes door-to-door screening by ASHA workers.
