48th Netra Jyoti Day - Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh's Role in Eye Care Services in Nepal

 Dr. Sailesh Kumar Mishra

Kathmandu, March 25: In the history of Nepal’s healthcare development, eye care services stand out as a remarkable success story. Despite limited resources, difficult geography, and challenges in access to health services, Nepal has made significant progress in reducing blindness. The heart and soul of this achievement is Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh.

The organization was established in 1978 through the initiative of nine distinguished individuals, including Ravi Shamsher Rana, Prof. Dr. Ram Prasad Pokharel, Mani Harsha Jyoti, Badri Bikram Thapa, Anangman Shrestha, Banwari Lal Mittal, Tolaram Dugar, Raj Krishna Shrestha, and Kamal Mani Dixit. Among them, Prof. Dr. Ram Prasad Pokharel played a vital role in shaping and expanding eye care services in Nepal. He is widely regarded as the visionary behind modern eye health services in the country, having led efforts to make eye care more organized, accessible, and widely available.

Following its establishment, the organization worked in collaboration with the Government of Nepal and international partners, with the goal of establishing eye hospitals across the country’s 14 zones at the time. Communities across Nepal responded with strong support, many donated land, while others contributed financially. This collective effort laid a solid foundation for expanding affordable, high-quality eye care services throughout the country.

Netra Jyoti Day is observed every year on the 13th of Chaitra as the foundation day of the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh. On this occasion, various programs are organized to raise awareness about eye health, reflect on progress in reducing blindness, and recognize the organization’s contributions in making eye care services more accessible and effective for the general population.

This year marks the 48th Netra Jyoti Day, celebrated under the theme: “Our Duty, Our Responsibility: Partnership in Eye Care.” 

The message behind this theme is clear: expanding eye care services and reducing blindness is not just the responsibility of a single institution or the government, but a shared responsibility of the entire society.

Over the past four decades, Nepal has made notable progress in eye health. A national survey conducted in 1981 reported a blindness prevalence of 0.84 percent. Through sustained efforts, expansion of treatment services, increased awareness, and the use of modern surgical techniques, this figure has now declined to around 0.28 percent.

This achievement reflects more than just improved healthcare delivery, it is the result of effective planning, strong community participation, and long-term institutional commitment. Nepal’s model for reducing blindness is now often cited as an example for other developing countries.

The Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh has built an extensive eye care network across the country. It currently operates 28 eye hospitals, 266 eye treatment centers, and 43 district branches.

Through this network, eye care services have reached people living in remote Himalayan regions as well as those in the plains of the Terai. The active involvement of thousands of health workers, technicians, and volunteers has played a key role in making these services both effective and accessible.

Given Nepal’s challenging terrain, delivering healthcare services to remote areas has always been difficult. To address this, the organization has implemented a range of community-based programs. These include mobile eye camps, school-level screening programs, free cataract surgery camps, and public awareness campaigns. Through these initiatives, hundreds of thousands of people in underserved areas have been able to access essential eye care services.

Nepal’s eye care services have also gained recognition internationally. The combination of quality services, skilled human resources, and relatively low costs has attracted patients from neighboring countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

As a result, Nepal is increasingly being seen as a potential destination for medical tourism in eye care. In collaboration with the Government of Nepal, efforts are ongoing to further develop the country as a regional hub for eye treatment services.

Despite its achievements, Nepal still faces several challenges in the coming years:

● A growing population

● Increasing life expectancy

● Rising cases of diabetes-related eye diseases

● Childhood visual impairment

● Limited access to services in rural areas

Addressing these challenges will require continued awareness efforts, adoption of modern technologies, development of skilled human resources, and stronger public–private partnerships.

Looking ahead, the focus is gradually shifting toward more tailored and inclusive approaches to eye care. Recognizing that different population groups face different risks and barriers, there is an increasing emphasis on age-specific and gender-sensitive strategies. For instance, targeted interventions for children aim to address early detection and prevention of visual impairment, while services for the elderly focus more on conditions such as cataract and age-related eye diseases.

At the same time, efforts are being made to better understand and respond to gender-related disparities in access to eye care, ensuring that women and marginalized groups are not left behind. This also includes designing outreach programs that are culturally appropriate and accessible to diverse communities.

In addition, there is a growing push to integrate eye care more closely with other government health services, expand the use of digital technologies, and strengthen data-driven planning. These evolving approaches reflect a broader shift, from expanding services alone to ensuring that no segment of the population is overlooked. By adopting more targeted and inclusive strategies, Nepal’s eye health sector aims to build on its past successes while responding more effectively to emerging needs.

The 48th Netra Jyoti Day is not only an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in Nepal’s eye health sector, but also a moment to renew commitments for the future. Strengthening the fight against blindness will depend on the collective efforts of the government, development partners, healthcare workers, volunteers, the media, and the wider community.

For more than four decades, the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh has led efforts to protect vision and expand access to eye care. Moving forward, continued collaboration and active participation from all sectors will be essential to ensure that quality eye care services reach even the most remote and underserved communities.

[Note: Dr. Mishra is the Executive Director of Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh]