GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.

Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.

“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.

It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.

However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the United Nations health agency’s technical lead for eye care.

The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.

In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.

Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.

Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.

2030 vision

The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.

In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.

However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.

To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary healthcare and invest in the required surgical equipment.