Marques Ana Patricia, Ramke Jacqueline, Cairns John, Butt Thomas, Zhang Justine H, Muirhead Debbie, Jones Iain, Tong Brandon A M Ah, Swenor Bonnielin K, Faal Hannah, Bourne Rupert R A, Frick Kevin D, Burton Matthew J
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
EClinicalMedicine. 2021 Apr 26;35:100852. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100852. eCollection 2021 May.
In the absence of accessible, good quality eye health services and inclusive environments, vision loss can impact individuals, households and communities in many ways, including through increased poverty, reduced quality of life and reduced employment. We aimed to estimate the annual potential productivity losses associated with reduced employment due to blindness and moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI) at a regional and global level.
We constructed a model using the most recent economic, demographic (2018) and prevalence (2020) data. Calculations were limited to the working age population (15-64 years) and presented in 2018 US Dollars purchasing power parity (ppp). Two separate models, using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Income (GNI), were calculated to maximise comparability with previous estimates.
We found that 160.7 million people with MSVI or blindness were within the working age and estimated that the overall relative reduction in employment by people with vision loss was 30.2%. Globally, using GDP we estimated that the annual cost of potential productivity losses of MSVI and blindness was $410.7 billion ppp (range $322.1 - $518.7 billion), or 0.3% of GDP. Using GNI, overall productivity losses were estimated at $408.5 billion ppp (range $320.4 - $515.9 billion), 0.5% lower than estimates using GDP.
These findings support the view that blindness and MSVI are associated with a large economic impact worldwide. Reducing and preventing vision loss and developing and implementing strategies to help visually impaired people to find and keep employment may result in significant productivity gains.
MJB is supported by the Wellcome Trust (207472/Z/17/Z). JR's appointment at the University of Auckland is funded by the Buchanan Charitable Foundation, New Zealand. The Commission on Global Eye Health was supported by grants from The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Moorfields Eye Charity (GR001061), NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, The Wellcome Trust, Sightsavers, The Fred Hollows Foundation, The SEVA Foundation, The British Council for the Prevention of Blindness and Christian Blind Mission. The funders had no role in the design, conduct, data analysis of the study, or writing of the manuscript.
在缺乏可及的、高质量的眼健康服务和包容性环境的情况下，视力丧失会在许多方面影响个人、家庭和社区，包括导致贫困加剧、生活质量下降和就业机会减少。我们旨在估计在区域和全球层面上，因失明以及中度和重度视力障碍（MSVI）导致就业减少所带来的年度潜在生产力损失。
我们使用最新的经济、人口统计学（2018年）和患病率（2020年）数据构建了一个模型。计算仅限于工作年龄人口（15 - 64岁），并以2018年美元购买力平价（PPP）呈现。使用国内生产总值（GDP）和国民总收入（GNI）分别构建了两个独立模型，以最大限度地与先前的估计进行比较。
我们发现，1.607亿患有MSVI或失明的人处于工作年龄，并估计视力受损者的总体就业相对减少了30.2%。在全球范围内，使用GDP我们估计MSVI和失明导致的年度潜在生产力损失成本为4107亿美元PPP（范围为3221亿 - 5187亿美元），占GDP的0.3%。使用GNI，总体生产力损失估计为4085亿美元PPP（范围为3204亿 - 5159亿美元），比使用GDP的估计低0.5%。
这些发现支持了这样一种观点，即失明和MSVI在全球范围内具有巨大的经济影响。减少和预防视力丧失，以及制定和实施策略来帮助视障人士找到并维持就业，可能会带来显著的生产力提升。
MJB由惠康信托基金（207472/Z/17/Z）资助。JR在奥克兰大学的职位由新西兰布坎南慈善基金会资助。全球眼健康委员会得到了伊丽莎白女王钻石禧年信托基金、摩尔菲尔德眼科慈善机构（GR001061）、NIHR摩尔菲尔德生物医学研究中心、惠康信托基金、防盲救盲组织、弗雷德·霍洛基金会、SEVA基金会、英国预防失明理事会和基督教盲人传教团的资助。资助者在研究的设计、实施过程、数据分析或稿件撰写方面没有任何作用。
