Parents blind to wards vision defect

Researchers at the Armed Forces Medical College have recorded a significantly high prevalence of eye disorders among students in three Pune Cantonment Board schools.

Researchers at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) have recorded a significantly high prevalence of eye disorders among students in three Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) schools.

What makes it worse is the apparent lack of concern among parents of the children with defective vision who did not seek any medical intervention though they were aware that it would be detrimental to the scholastic abilities of the child.

A study coordinated by Col A Datta and Col R Bhalwar and others from AFMC,also published in the January 9 issue of the Medical Journal of Armed Forces of India (MJAFI),shows the magnitude of the visual acuity disorders among children in the cantonment schools.

The earliest signs of disorders of visual acuity are strain of the eyes with redness,watering and headache at the end of school timings. Though the child may report his problems to his parents,there is a lack of awareness of the need for early and prompt correction of such disorders.

A total of 2,747 children,studying in 56 sections of Class V to X in three cantonment schools,were involved in the study and a sample size was eventually worked out to a minimum of 236 children. Fifty children were found to have errors of refraction resulting in a prevalence rate of 21.19 per cent.

A questionnaire-based study of the knowledge and attitude of the parents of 50 affected children was also conducted.

According to Col A Datta and Col R Bhalwar,the study highlighted the apparent lack of concern among the parents of children with refractory errors who failed to respond to the questionnaire.

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The responses brought out that 18 parents were already aware that their child had a defective vision and a similar number knew that such a defect was detrimental to the scholastic activities of their child. Yet only 10 parents indicated that they would be taking their child to the eye clinic for necessary corrective action.

They felt it must be the procurement cost of spectacles that is inhibiting the parents from initiating action to provide correction of the refractory errors.

It is estimated that 2.3 billion people worldwide suffer from refractive errors. The vast majority of these could have their sight restored by spectacles,but only 1.8 billion people have access to eye examinations and affordable correction,says Col R Bhalwar,head,Department of Community Medicine,AFMC.

Around 500 million people,mostly in developing countries and mainly children,have impaired vision due to uncorrected errors that cause blindness,he says.

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Blind spot
* 236 students examined in the AFMC study. None of them were using spectacles.
* 50 children were found having visual acuity disorders. Other problems detected were squint and corneal opacity.
* 10 parents indicated that they will be seeking corrective action.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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Parents blind to wards vision defect

Researchers at the Armed Forces Medical College have recorded a significantly high prevalence of eye disorders among students in three Pune Cantonment Board schools.

Parents blind to wards vision defect