Health & Food
Bangladesh announces $130m five-year eye-care expansion
The government plans to spend $130 million over five years to expand eye-care services, including training and facilities outside major cities. A proposed campaign targets one million free cataract operations and ten million pairs of spectacles. The figures are programme goals announced on World Sight Day, not services already delivered.
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From 9 October 2026 — Daily Brief
Bangladesh plans to invest $130 million over five years to improve eye-care services and access to treatment, Health and Family Welfare State Minister MA Muhit said on 8 October.
The announcement was made at a World Sight Day event organised with eye-health institutions and development partners. Officials want to strengthen the workforce, equipment and facilities needed for services in districts and remote areas.
The proposed programme includes one million free cataract surgeries, ten million pairs of spectacles and primary eye-care coverage for about 20 million people. Schoolchildren are also expected to benefit.
The targets are ambitious and should be understood as planned outputs, not completed treatment. Delivering them will require trained staff, reliable referral arrangements, equipment and funding over several years.
Improved access could reduce avoidable visual impairment and the economic burden that poor eyesight places on families, education and employment.
Source: Original reporting.