[The progress in the prevention of blindness in China]

The surgical treatment of cataract blindness continues to be the priority of the prevention of blindness in China since the beginning of the new century. The biggest program "Sight first, China action" in prevention of blindness in the world has been gotten the great achievements. 2.06 millions of cataract surgeries were performed in the five years from 1997 to 2001. The historical transition in which the annual number of cataract surgeries exceeded the annual new cataract blindness in China was realized. The local government actively organized the program in the prevention of blindness. The cataract surgical rate was increasing. The ocular epidemiological studies have been gotten the new achievements. At present, the slow progress in the elimination of cataract blindness is the main problem in the prevention in China. It is a solvable problem in the process in the prevention of blindness in China.