23 January 2025
New research published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia has highlighted gender inequalities in spending on cataract surgery in India.
Researchers analysed information from the 3.6 million cataract surgeries performed through Aravind Eye Hospitals in India between 2012 and 2023.
Over the time period, the proportion of surgeries that were covered by insurance and government assistance increased from 4.4% to 28.7%.
While the average visual acuity before undergoing cataract surgery improved between 2012 and 2023, women presented with poorer vision on average than men.
Visual acuity following cataract surgery also steadily improved over the time period.
The researchers reported that male patients consistently paid about 10% more for cataract surgery than women, with men more likely to select more expensive intraocular lenses.
The authors observed that the data shows patients sought cataract surgery sooner over the study period and had better surgical outcomes.
However, they highlighted disparities that were brought to light through the research.
“Female patients continued to face inequities, presenting with worse vision, and receiving lower expenditures for surgery, indicating the need for targeted approaches to address sex inequity both on the demand generation and treatment provision sides,” the authors shared.
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