State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit -File photo

DHAKA, July 06, 2026 (BSS)- The government has undertaken a master plan to provide one million people nationwide free and affordable cataract surgeries to eliminate their blindness. 

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit said this to journalists here today.

He pointed out the courtesy call of Peter Holland, Chief Executive of International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division yesterday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given final approval to a proposal of IAPB chief executive to Bangladesh to be the co-host with Antigua of world's first Global Summit on Eye Health in next November, he said. 

The State Minister said around one million people in Bangladesh are currently visually impaired or blind due to the lack of cataract surgery and restoring the eyesight of this large population is one of the government's main objectives.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has personally taken the initiative with great sincerity, adding, "We are undertaking a major programme to arrange free and affordable cataract surgeries across the country for one million people.” 

He continued, “To reduce the suffering and expenses of ordinary people, the Prime Minister has already reduced the tax on the lenses used after cataract surgery in the current budget. As a result, the cost of cataract surgery will decrease significantly, bringing major relief to poor people seeking treatment."

Referring to the Global Summit scheduled for November, the State Minister said the world's first Global Summit on Eye Health will be held with the participation of health ministers and prime ministers from different countries. Bangladesh will provide leadership on the global stage as a co-host of the summit.

The State Minister also outlined the government's new plan to protect the eyesight of schoolchildren in rural areas, saying many children in villages are unable to see properly due to the lack of eye examinations and spectacles, which is hindering their education and normal development.

He said the Prime Minister has expressed special concern over the issue and requested the IAPB to come forward with eye examinations and the distribution of spectacles for children. The international organisation has also given full assurance of its support.

IAPB Chief Executive Peter Holland said the Global Summit to be held in Antigua on November 2 will provide a unique opportunity for world leaders, where prime ministers and health ministers from different countries will come with commitments to improve eye healthcare services in their respective countries.

Describing Bangladesh as one of the global pioneers in eye healthcare, Peter Holland said the country has long been providing leadership in protecting eyesight worldwide. 

Bangladesh sponsored the first historic United Nations resolution on vision, and its role in this field over the decades has been commendable.

The IAPB chief executive said a number of international and local non-governmental development organisations are working shoulder to shoulder with the government to bring fundamental changes to eye healthcare services in Bangladesh. 

In particular, substantial investment and cooperation are continuing to improve the quality of cataract surgery services and implement programmes to make spectacles accessible to the general public.

Peter Holland expressed hope that Bangladesh's strong partnership and role as a co-host at the Global Summit next November would further enhance the country's image in the global arena.