New research published in AJO International has revealed that just six countries are home to half of the ophthalmologists in more than 150 nations involved in a global workforce survey.
The study, by researchers in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, also revealed that seven countries – the US, India, Germany, the UK, Spain, Japan, and China – accounted for half of the optometrists in the 156 nations involved.
They contributed to an estimated 275,551 ophthalmologists worldwide and 306,711 optometrists, with the average optometrist density across the world being 39 optometrists per million people.
The researchers said data on the global eyecare workforce were “fragmented and incomplete”, which was why they set out to provide a snapshot of the distribution of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and allied ophthalmic personnel in 2023.
“This study is the first attempt at providing a comprehensive global estimate of eye health professionals, revealing workforce gaps and the need to expand eyecare capacity,” they said.
Despite the significant numbers in some countries, 20 nations surveyed reportedly had no optometrists, and seven Pacific Island nations reported having no ophthalmologists.
Seven Sub-Saharan African nations had fewer than one optometrist per million people.
“The data reveals critical gaps in workforce distribution that contribute to the growing burden of vision impairment,” the researchers said.
“Our findings underscore the need for policy interventions aimed at expanding the workforce.”
They said that further research should focus on standardising data collection and estimating the minimum density and optimal mix of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and allied ophthalmic personnel needed for effective coverage of essential eyecare services.
