CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Bengaluru. The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised ‘Asha Kiran’, a joint initiative of the Karnataka government and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. The programme has been recognised as an effective example of expanding integrated and people-centred eye care services. Its objective is to take eye screening, spectacles and essential treatment facilities to communities and reduce preventable blindness. In a report released on the occasion of World Sight Day on October 8, 2026, the initiative was presented as a model for effectively integrating eye care services into the public health system.
Services are being provided through 393 vision centres under the ‘Asha Kiran’ programme in Karnataka. These centres have been linked with the state’s public health system. Under the programme, around 40,000 accredited social health activists, or ASHA workers, have been trained to conduct door-to-door vision screening. According to the data released, more than 1.4 crore people have so far undergone preliminary vision screening through the initiative. In addition, more than 4.5 lakh people have been provided free spectacles and support has been extended for more than 2.5 lakh cataract surgeries. These figures reflect the large-scale expansion of community-based eye care services.
The system works at three levels under the programme. At the first level, ASHA workers conduct preliminary vision screening among people in communities. At the second level, vision centres provide detailed eye examinations and spectacles. At the third level, patients are referred to district hospitals and other appropriate health centres for cataract surgery and treatment of complex eye-related conditions. The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation has provided technical support in the development and initial implementation of this initiative. This includes assistance in training, equipment, expertise and the development of basic infrastructure related to vision care.
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