Design: Cross-sectional survey
Population: 82 residents of two blind schools in Jammu province, mean age 14
Primary outcome: Causes and anatomical sites of blindness
Effect: Congenital 67%, acquired 27%; avoidable causes 35%

Doctors examined 82 residents, mean age 14, of the two blind schools in Jammu province, classifying the cause and site of blindness.

Two-thirds of blindness was congenital, 27% acquired and 6% undetermined. The whole globe and the retina were each the affected site in about 27%, and the cornea in about 20%. Around 12% had a family history of blindness. About 35% of blindness was judged avoidable, meaning preventable or treatable with timely care.

The survey is small and restricted to school residents, who are not all visually impaired children in the region. But the proportion of avoidable causes, including corneal scarring, is a reminder of the value of vitamin A, measles vaccination, early treatment of corneal infection, retinopathy of prematurity screening and genetic counselling where dystrophies run in families. It was published in September 2026.

About a third of childhood blindness in this survey was judged avoidable.
Corneal scarring remains a preventable cause; treat childhood corneal infection promptly.
Offer genetic counselling to families with inherited retinal dystrophies.
Support retinopathy of prematurity screening for preterm infants.
Refer children in blind schools for low-vision assessment; some can improve functional vision.

Why it matters

It shows that avoidable childhood blindness persists in parts of India.

The statistics, in plain English

With 82 children, each child is about 1.2% of the sample, so percentages carry considerable uncertainty. A school-based survey does not represent children who are blind but not in school.