Short read: Access to reading glasses can boost India’s GDP by $16 billion

Whilst our politicians promise to lead us towards a land of milk & honey, a more prosaic intervention might produce enormous benefits for over 200 million people in India. Amit Gupta of The Print informs us that: “According to estimates, the productivity of 40% of India’s 600 million-strong workforce is significantly impacted by uncorrected presbyopia – a decline in near vision post the age of 35. While such pervasive challenges might seem to demand long-term policy shifts or advanced infrastructure, counterintuitively, the solution is a surprisingly simple and centuries-old innovation – “Reading Glasses.”

In its report, “Reading Glasses and Livelihood: challenges and pathways to scale access in India“, The/Nudge Institute delves deep into the challenge of uncorrected presbyopia, highlighting its scale and the potential impact of a simple pair of reading glasses. Enabling access to reading glasses isn’t just about health; it can drive productivity by upwards of 34% and boost income by 20%, as demonstrated by multiple studies and Randomised Control Trials hosted globally. By addressing uncorrected presbyopia with affordable reading glasses, we have the opportunity to enhance India’s GDP by $16 billion through a modest investment of $600 million. That’s a 27-fold return that can uplift millions of lives and propel our nation towards its path to Viksit Bharat. The report emphasises that a quality pair of reading glasses can be produced for just $1 through robust policy and efficient distribution models, these glasses can also reach a person in the most remote parts of the country at a cost as low as $3, including the cost of screening and administration.”

So why don’t these 200mn+ Indians have access to reading glasses? As you might have guessed, most of them don’t know that they would benefit from reading glasses. And many of those who want reading glasses reside in villages where none are available.

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