Ananta Basudev Sahu

Background: Visual impairment presents a significant public health concern globally, with a notable impact on individuals' quality of life. Despite efforts to address this issue, unmet eye health needs persist, particularly in vulnerable populations such as truck drivers in low and middle-income countries like India. The RAAHI (National truckers eye health programme) initiative aims to fill this gap by providing essential eye care services in India. Methods: This research manuscript delves into the journey of the RAAHI programme from 2017 to 2022, assessing its achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. A mixed-methods approach involving a secondary review of literature, programme records, and stakeholder interactions was employed. Quantitative analysis of beneficiary demographics and service utilization trends was complemented by qualitative insights from beneficiary feedback and stakeholder interviews. Results: RAAHI demonstrated a significant presence across 54 locations, screening over 540,000 beneficiaries between 2018 and June 2022. The programme primarily targeted truck drivers, addressing their unmet eye health needs and raising awareness about prevalent health conditions. Beneficiary feedback highlighted overall satisfaction with RAAHI services, emphasizing the programme's structured approach and immediate access to quality spectacles. Furthermore, qualitative analysis suggests RAAHI's success enriching the programme's effectiveness and client-centric approach. Conclusions: These findings offer valuable insights into addressing visual impairment among vulnerable populations and advocating for the integration of eye care into public health initiatives. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of sustained efforts and collaborative partnerships in ensuring the success and scalability of programmes like RAAHI.

India, with a population exceeding 1.486 billion, faces substantial challenges in urban eye health, particularly in densely populated states like Uttar Pradesh. This study delves into real-world impact of urban eye health programme, implemented in Kanpur and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, aiming to identify success factors and examine the tangible effects of interventions through comprehensive endline study. Utilizing a hub-and-spoke model, the programme established base hospitals as hubs and vision centres as spokes, creating a network for affordable and accessible eye care. The project significantly improved accessibility, with over 85% in Kanpur and 97% in Prayagraj reporting easy access to vision centres. A shift in community behaviour was observed, with a preference for vision centres for eye examinations increasing from 5.6-64.6% in Kanpur and 10.6-57.1% in Prayagraj. The programme empowered women to prioritize their eye health, reaching 53% of women for eye screening. Community perception shifted positively, with over 82% in Prayagraj recognizing the programme's pivotal role. In Kanpur, 87.5% of women actively take charge of their eye health decisions, while 99.1% do so in Prayagraj. This empowerment underscores programme commitment to providing equal access to eye care and demonstrates a strong focus on inclusivity and gender equality.