Facts and figures

• Number of blind people: 400,000
• National blindness prevalence: 1.5%-2%
• Main causes of blindness: Cataract (40%), trachoma(15%), corneal opacity(15%)
• Number of cataract operations performed annually: 15,000
• Number of ophthalmologists: 118 (only 40 are trained IOL surgeons, 5 trained in community ophthalmology)
  
• Reasons for low cataract surgical rates and backlog: Lack of personnel and supplies

Just over half of the cataract operations performed in Afghanistan are done with an intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation and while general services are free of charge, many patients need to purchase their own IOLs.

Of the country's ophthalmologists, 87% are located in the central provinces of the country, mainly in Kabul. The south western provinces are particularly underserved with only one ophthalmologist per 2.75 million population.

Around 80% of Afghanistan's population does not have access to eye care services.

Sources: WHO and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health. 

• Population: 28.5 million
• Urban population: 22.6%
• Life expectancy: 43.6 years
• Literacy rate: 28%
• Infant mortality rate: 129 per 1,000 births

Sources: Government of the United Kingdom, Human Deveopment Report 2006, UNDP, WHO