Purpose: To estimate the national prevalence and economic burden of blindness and visual impairment attributable to ocular trauma across India by synthesizing evidence from regional studies. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, IndMED, and Google Scholar identified Indian studies (1999–2021) reporting ocular trauma and visual outcomes. Data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis, and national estimates were extrapolated to India’s 2021 population. An economic cost-of-illness model was applied. Results: Twenty-eight studies encompassing >65, 000 subjects and 10, 000 ocular trauma cases were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of ocular trauma was 3. 75% (95% confidence interval CI: 2. 8%–4. 5%), with 0. 27% (95% CI: 0. 20%–0. 40%) of the population affected by blindness or visual impairment due to trauma-equivalent to 3. 73 million individuals. Most cases involved young males (12–35 years) and unilateral injuries. The annual societal cost was estimated between ₹86. 5 and ₹331. 4 billion (US1. 0–4. 0 billion), with productivity loss alone contributing ₹34. 3 billion (US0. 41 billion). Conclusion: Ocular trauma is a major but preventable cause of blindness in India, imposing a substantial economic burden. Integrating eye safety measures, early surgical intervention, and rehabilitation within the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) could yield significant health and economic gains.
Shah et al. (Wed,) studied this question.