New national eye health strategy seeks to expand treatment access, improve surgical outcomes and encourage early detection of vision problems.
Bhutan is stepping up efforts to combat preventable blindness with a new five-year national strategy that aims to significantly improve access to eye care and ensure more people receive timely treatment for vision-related conditions.
Unveiled by the Ministry of Health to mark World Sight Day, the National Strategic Plan for Eye Health sets out a roadmap to strengthen screening, treatment and public awareness programmes across the country by 2030.
The initiative comes amid concerns over the prevalence of untreated eye conditions, particularly cataracts and refractive errors, which remain the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in Bhutan despite being treatable.
In 2024, the country recorded 7,132 cataract cases, making it the most frequently reported vision-related condition. Cataracts develop when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, gradually affecting vision. Refractive errors, meanwhile, prevent the eyes from focusing light correctly, often making distant objects appear blurred.
Although medical interventions are available for both conditions, access to effective treatment remains limited.
World Health Organisation estimates indicate that Bhutan’s effective cataract surgical coverage stands at just 22 percent, while coverage for refractive errors is 48 percent. These figures highlight a substantial gap between the availability of eye care services and the number of people receiving treatment that successfully improves their vision.
Under the new strategy, the government intends to raise effective cataract surgical coverage to 55 percent and refractive error treatment coverage to 85 percent by the end of the decade.
Achieving these targets will require improvements not only in healthcare infrastructure and professional training but also in how people approach preventive eye care.
Sonam Peldon, Programme Analyst with the Ministry of Health’s Primary Eye Care Programme, said the plan would place greater emphasis on community outreach, nationwide eye camps and public education.
A key challenge, she explained, is the tendency among patients to seek medical attention only after experiencing noticeable vision problems. The ministry hopes to change this behaviour by encouraging routine eye examinations, including among individuals who have no apparent symptoms.
Healthcare specialists have also stressed that expanding the number of procedures alone will not be sufficient to improve the country’s eye health outcomes.
Dechen Wangmo, Paediatric Ophthalmologist and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, said efforts must simultaneously address the quality of surgical care and encourage more patients to use available services.
Patient follow-up after cataract surgery has emerged as a particular concern.
Of the 3,460 patients who underwent cataract operations in Bhutan in 2024, only about 1,255 returned for a follow-up examination within the first month. This means nearly two-thirds did not attend the recommended post-operative assessment during that period.
According to Wangmo, many patients experience substantial improvements in vision within a week of surgery and consequently assume that further medical examinations are unnecessary.
However, follow-up consultations allow ophthalmologists to assess patients’ functional vision, evaluate surgical outcomes and identify complications that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The low follow-up rate therefore presents an additional challenge for healthcare providers seeking to measure and improve the effectiveness of cataract treatment.
Beyond cataracts and refractive errors, the national strategy also identifies diabetic retinopathy as a priority area.
The condition, which develops when persistently elevated blood sugar damages blood vessels in the retina, can cause progressive vision loss if left undetected or untreated. The government aims to increase screening and treatment coverage for diabetic retinopathy to 80 percent by 2030.
Affordability is another issue the strategy seeks to address. The ministry plans to improve access to reasonably priced spectacles and other vision-correction devices through public hospitals and private optical outlets.
The proposed measures respond to longstanding gaps in access to eye care. A Ministry of Health study conducted in 2021 found that only about half of the population’s vision needs were being met, with young people and older adults facing particular challenges.
By improving the availability and affordability of corrective eyewear, the government hopes to reach more people living with untreated refractive errors and reduce avoidable visual impairment.
The five-year plan represents a shift towards a more comprehensive approach to eye health, combining treatment expansion with preventive screening, community engagement and improvements in service quality.
Its success, however, will depend on translating national targets into measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.
While additional training, outreach programmes and affordable treatment options can help bridge existing gaps, health officials recognise that public participation will be equally important.
Encouraging people to undergo regular eye examinations, seek treatment before their vision deteriorates and complete recommended follow-up care could prove decisive in determining whether Bhutan meets its 2030 goals.
For a country where many cases of visual impairment can be prevented or treated, the challenge is no longer simply ensuring that medical solutions exist, but making certain they reach those who need them.
