School eye screening and the National Program for Control of Blindness

Childhood blindness and visual impairment are as important and perhaps more devastating and disabling than adult onset blindness, because of the long span of life still remaining to be lived. Refractive errors and more particularly myopia, place a substantial burden on the individual and society. School-age children constitute a particularly vulnerable group where uncorrected refractive errors may have a dramatic impact on learning capability and educational potential. This article provides an overview of school eye screening from the perspective of National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB), Government of India; and challenges, future directions and thrust area envisaged under the program for amelioration of childhood blindness.