Eye diseases are prevalent around the world. No area is free from blindness, although most blindness occurs in developing countries, where treatable diseases often go undiagnosed. What's more, up to 80 percent of blindness is preventable.
To help combat visual impairment and eye disease globally, as well as in the U.S., the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the NIH supports a wide range of research studies. Through its activities in international research and global health, NEI aims to develop scientific capacity in the U.S. through training and mentoring to meet global health challenges and support vision research in the future.