PRODUCT NARRATIVE: EYEGLASSES

  • Acknowledgements
  • Acronyms
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
    • 1. Assistive Technology and Market Shaping
    • 2. Product Narrative
  • Chapter 1: Market Landscape
    • 3. Market Context
      • 3.1 At least 1 billion people worldwide have a vision impairment that is uncorrected or could have been prevented
      • 3.2 Unaddressed vision impairment has a profound negative effect on individuals and society.
      • 3.3 Refractive errors could be easily addressed with eyeglasses, but at least 826 million people worldwide live with uncorrected refractive errors.
      • 3.4 Eyeglasses should be provided within the context of comprehensive eye care and integrated within the healthcare system and national health plans.
      • 3.5 Capacity to deliver services for refractive errors in LMICs is limited due to the high cost of equipment and human resources required.
      • 3.6 There is a general shortage of ophthalmologists and optometrists in LMICs, and mid-level eye care workers are not effectively deployed.
      • 3.7 Donor funding to address uncorrected refractive errors in LMICs is only a fraction of the funding spent on eye health and comes from a limited number of donors.
    • 4. Market Assessment
      • 4.1 The global eyewear market is valued at USD130 billion, has a clear market leader and caters to HIC markets.
      • 4.2 Demand for eyeglasses in LMICs remains low due to low awareness around vision impairment and stigma around wearing eyeglasses.
      • 4.3 LMIC markets generally lack effective public procurement systems for eyeglasses; NGOs have traditionally aimed to fill the gap by distributing refurbished donated eyeglasses.
      • 4.4 The supply chain for prescription eyeglasses is complex due to the level of customisation required which adds cost to the user; reading eyeglasses are easier and cheaper to obtain.
      • 4.5 Ready-to-assemble eyeglasses can alleviate supply chain challenges for 80% of the need for eyeglasses.
      • 4.6 New technologies for vision screening and refraction create opportunities to reach more people.
      • 4.7 Successful and sustainable public sector procurement and delivery models exist.
      • 4.8 Most users in LMICs pay out-of-pocket for services, but public financing mechanisms can be leveraged to ensure better access and quality.
      • 4.9 School eye health (SEH) is an effective delivery platform for eyeglasses and opportunities exist to expand across LMICs.
      • 4.10 Models to distribute reading eyeglasses through the public or private sector have been explored but their sustainability has not yet been proven.
      • 4.11 Inclusive businesses exist that provide quality eyeglasses to base of the pyramid customers and are economically viable, but they require upfront investment to be replicated and scaled.
    • 5. Market Challenges
      • 5.1 Demand
      • 5.2 Supply
      • 5.3 Enablers
  • Chapter 2: Strategic Approach to Market Shaping
    • 6. Strategic Approach to Market Shaping and Market Building
      • Strategic Objective 1: Mobilise key stakeholders, including donors, multilaterals, NGO implementers, and the private sector, around reliable data and proven scalable models to accelerate efforts against vision impairment caused by refractive errors.
      • Strategic Objective 2: Strengthen global policy guidance around service delivery standards for low-resource settings to accelerate the adoption of innovative models, devices, and products that support a simplified service delivery.
      • Strategic Objective 3: Support governments to develop comprehensive eye care plans integrating validated models of vision screening and provision within the public health system and facilitate scale-up of those models.
      • Strategic Objective 4: Engage the private sector to expand delivery of affordable, quality eyeglasses and related services in LMICs.
      • Strategic Objective 5: Build and drive awareness on available treatments and consumer demand for eyeglasses.
    • 7. Next Steps
  • Appendix A : Individuals interviewed or consulted
  • Appendix B : Common eye conditions (WHO)
  • Appendix C : Global magnitude of myopia and presbyopia
  • Appendix D : Prescription details
  • Appendix E: Refraction equipment
  • Appendix F: International standard classification of eye health professionals
  • Appendix G: New refraction devices
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