CBM India, in partnership with SBI Foundation, has announced the Project 'SBIF Eye Care', aimed at reducing avoidable blindness in the Howrah district of West Bengal. The two-year project, spanning from March 2024 to February 2026, focuses on delivering inclusive, accessible, and affordable eye care services.

Covering 12 blocks in the Howrah district, the project addresses a critical public health concern and a leading cause of blindness worldwide- cataracts.

Several factors contribute to this challenge- the need to expand access to eye health services, low awareness about cataract symptoms and treatment options, the growing demand for more surgical capacity and infrastructure, and the limited access to follow-up care, medications, and rehabilitative services.

The project addresses these challenges and prioritises sight-restoring procedures, targeting to perform 3,000 free cataract surgeries for people from marginalised communities. SBIF has been a pioneer in cataract care projects pan India; their programme aims to improve access to healthcare and help those in need of cataract surgery.

Apart from this, the initiative aims at raising awareness about prevailing eye care issues, their prevention, and care, indirectly benefitting over 1,76,000 people, and offering eye screenings, counseling, and safety measures for eye care to over 30,000 individuals, including children and adults with disabilities.

These goals will be achieved through a multifaceted approach, leveraging CBM India's Inclusive Vision Centers, eye screening camps, awareness camps, and door-to-door community eye screenings.