Integrating geospatial data and measures of disability and wealth to assess inequalities in an eye health Ssurvey: an example from the Indian Sunderbans

In 2018 Sightsavers and partners conducted a survey to understand how visual impairment and coverage of cataract and spectacle services differed by wealth, disability and geographical location. The age–sex adjusted prevalence of blindness was 0.8%, with higher prevalence among women (1.1%). Cataract surgical coverage was 86.3%.

The study did not find any association between visual impairment and wealth, however there were significant differences by additional (non-visual) disabilities at all levels of visual impairment. Integrating additional tools in surveys is critical for measuring inequalities and identifying population groups and locations that are at risk of being left behind.