Rapid assessments of avoidable blindness

Main objectives

The main objectives of rapid assessments of avoidable blindness (RAABs) are to establish the magnitude and causes of avoidable blindness in an area where we are delivering, or planning to deliver, eye health services. As well as providing important information to help us plan suitable services they also provide useful baseline data that can be replicated 8-10 years later to measure the reduction in blindness or changes in the causes of visual impairment.

Summary

Compared to large scale epidemiological surveys, RAABs are a relatively quick and resource-light tool to help understand the scale and cause of visual impairment affecting a country or study region. We can collect additional information to understand if specific groups of people are particularly affected or disadvantaged. Once armed with this information, programme managers can plan services in a way that best meets the need of the population. If the RAAB is repeated at a later date (after 8-10 years depending on the scale of service delivery) we should also be able to measure the reduction in visual impairment as a result of those services.

Since 2017, we have conducted several RAABs, providing both initial data as well as repeated data to measure change. The list of countries and links to the reports is shown below.

We publish findings from individual and repeated RAABs in peer‑reviewed journals, including analyses that compare results from surveys conducted in the same location over time. These studies help document changes in the prevalence and causes of visual impairment, assess the impact of service delivery, and provide robust evidence of progress towards reducing avoidable blindness. For example, a recent study from Koulikoro, Mali showed a reduction in blindness among people aged 50 and over from 9.0% in 2008 to 4.4% in 2024.

We also combine data from multiple RAABs to explore broader trends across countries and settings. By pooling datasets, we can identify patterns in service coverage, inequalities and causes of visual impairment at scale. A recent 12-country analysis highlighted important cross-country insights, including evidence that many people underreport vision difficulties, underscoring the need for more proactive and inclusive approaches to reaching those in need of eye care.