Professor of Department of Optometry of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences stated that cataract in remote rural and urban areas will cause low vision and blindness.

According to WEBDA, Dr. Abbas Azimi considered untreated cataract as the most significant cause of blindness in Iran and stated that other cause of blindness in Iran include ocular diseases, ocular infections, systematic diseases, diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, glaucoma, fundus abnormalities, other ocular disorders, and malnutrition.

He pointed out that there are currently 9 thousand blind people in Iran. There is an estimates 180 thousand people in the country suffering from blindness and, mostly, low vision.

Member of the Optometry Scientific Association of Iran stated that statistically, 70-80 and over 180 million people in the world are now suffering from blindness and low vision respectively, which has doubled in comparison with the past.

This optometrist added that 75-80 percent of visual impairment, low visions, and blindness cases are preventable.

Pointing to the implementation of the 2020 plan by the World Health Organization since 25 years ago, he stated that this plan has been implemented with the aim of preventing and controlling visual disorders and ocular diseases for the year 2020 A.D.

Member of the Optometry Scientific Association of Iran pointed to the organization of the Seventeenth National Congress of Optometry of Khorasan during May 3-5 this year and stated that over 500 optometrists from across the country and optometry specialists from Australia, Japan, and Germany attended the Seventeenth Optometry Association of Khorasan in Mashhad.

Dr. Azimi added that 34 lectures and 8 posters were presented in the context of optometry. The topics of the congress included the scientific and technical production of eyeglasses, introduction of new applications for eyeglasses, paraclinical activities, principles and types of corneal imaging and its significance in LASIK and keratoconus.