The economic and social costs of visual impairment and blindness in India.

Purpose: To provide a current estimate of the economic and social costs (or welfare costs) of visual impairment and blindness in India.

Methods: Using evidence from the recently conducted Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey across India, the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health and other sources, we developed an economic model that estimates the costs of reduced employment, elevated mortality risk, education loss for children, productivity loss in employment, welfare loss for the unemployed, and caregiver costs associated with moderate and severe visual impairment (MSVI) and blindness. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were also conducted by varying key parameters simultaneously.