Bridging the gender gap in eye health by training allied ophthalmic personnel
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Young women trained as eye care professionals are serving as role models and increasing the likelihood that other women will seek eye care.
In India, women, especially from marginalised communities, are disproportionately affected by blindness. They are 1.4 times more likely to be affected by vision impairment than men.1 Traditional gender roles that prioritise men’s health, financial limitations, and a lack of female eye care professionals remain significant challenges for women.
The Mission Saksham initiative in India was established to train young women from disadvantaged backgrounds who have completed Grade 12 to become allied ophthalmic personnel (AOPs) in the eye care sector. India requires over 98,000 AOPs to meet basic eye care needs and achieve good universal eye health coverage.2 Mission Saksham addresses this shortage by training AOPs to provide essential eye care services and take on leadership roles within their communities. As of 2024, 92% of participants are women, with over 500 AOPs trained to lead vision centres, manage clinics, and assist during surgery.
The female AOPs act as role models and change agents, driving equity and better health outcomes in their communities. For example, two women from the first cohort of trainees, who completed their training at the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in 2017, are now managing a vision centre in their hometown in the state of Meghalaya. They are not only providing essential eye care but also leading their community’s eye care services. One of them, Marbalin Wanniang, said: “On average, I attend to between 10 and 25 patients on market days, with 60% of these being women and girls. Female patients tend to feel more comfortable with a female eye health professional, even if they haven’t explicitly mentioned it.”
Research has shown that women in leadership roles in health care not only improve access to services but also enhance the quality of care, particularly for women and children.1
References
1. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The national blindness and visual impairment survey India 2015–2019 – a summary report. New Delhi: Directorate General of Health Services. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/fdbzsnm9
2. Das T, Panda L. Imagining eye care in India (2018 Lalit Prakash Agarwal lecture). Indian J Ophthalmol. 2018; 66(11):1532-8.