Ten years ago, infectious diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis were among the leading causes of blindness. Today, its chronic and age-related diseases, according to a new epidemiological report from the World Health Organization.

Globally in 2002, more than 161 million people were visually impaired, of whom 124 million had low vision and 37 million were blind.

While cataract still poses the major challenge in the effort to eliminate avoidable blindness (particularly in developing countries) other conditions related to agingsuch as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathyhave now begun to predominate as causes of blindness.