Karnataka knocked on doors with eye tests — 14 million screenings later, the world is taking notes

Since 2022, health workers in eight Karnataka districts have been doing something simple and radical: taking eye care to people's doorsteps. The Asha Kirana initiative has now completed 14 million primary eye screenings, given out more than 4.5 lakh (450,000) free pairs of spectacles, and arranged over 2.5 lakh (250,000) cataract operations — the two biggest causes of avoidable blindness, tackled street by street. Its 393 vision centres are now a permanent part of the state health system. This week the World Health Organization, the state government and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation published the model as a documented example for other places to copy.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: institutional program