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New Delhi, 22nd March 2025 – Under the ongoing collaboration between Sightsavers India and AbbVie India, the glaucoma consultation has reached its final destination—Delhi. Bringing together experts at the India International Centre, the event served as the closing chapter in a series of impactful discussions dedicated to addressing India’s glaucoma response and reducing preventable blindness.
This initiative began as a series of state-level consultations focused on discussions around glaucoma awareness, early detection and treatment accessibility. From Bhubaneswar to Bhopal, Lucknow to Bengaluru, and most recently Patna, each consultation contributed valuable insights, bringing together healthcare professionals, policymakers, media representatives and industry leaders to address the unique challenges faced across different regions. Now, as the initiative transitions from a state-focused effort to a national-level dialogue in Delhi, it paves the way for strengthened collaboration, refined strategies and amplified efforts to address preventable blindness on a larger scale
Glaucoma, the ‘silent thief of sight’, progresses without noticeable symptoms, making early detection and treatment crucial. Over the past year, Sightsavers India and AbbVie India have conducted multiple state-level consultations, bringing together ophthalmologists, public health experts, policymakers, media representatives and industry leaders to improve glaucoma awareness, screening, and treatment access across the country.
As part of the initiative, free glaucoma screening was available at the venue for attendees aged 40 and above, offering practical demonstration of early detection practices that have been emphasised throughout the campaign.
Hon’ble Chief Guest, Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Government of India, reflected on the impact of the initiative, stating, “Glaucoma is a silent but irreversible disease, making early detection and timely intervention crucial in preventing vision loss. The Government of India remains committed to strengthening eye care services and supporting such initiatives. Addressing glaucoma requires a collective effort and partnerships between the government, healthcare professionals, and civil society who play a vital role in advancing this cause. I commend Sightsavers India and AbbiVie India for their dedication to this cause. By creating awareness, enhancing service delivery and integrating technology into eye care, we can move towards a future where preventable blindness is significantly reduced. We hope to see this collaboration continue its valuable working ensuring more people receive timely diagnosis and treatment. ”
Guest of Honour, Dr Radhika Tandon, Chief of Dr R.P. Centre of Ophth. Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi said, – “I truly appreciate the partnership between Sightsavers India and AbbVie India in bringing attention to glaucoma. Awareness shouldn’t be limited to those already affected—everyone should know about it, including those in good eye health. We should also look at engaging college students, not just from medical backgrounds but from humanities and other fields as well. Those seeking projects could contribute fresh, innovative ideas to help expand awareness and improve glaucoma care.”
The consultation began with a welcome, followed by opening remarks from Mr. R.N. Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers India and Suresh Pattathil, Managing Director, AbbVie India.
Mr. R.N. Mohanty, CEO of Sightsavers India reflected on the journey of the campaign, saying “Fifteen months ago, Sightsavers India and AbbVie India embarked on a journey with a shared vision—to bring glaucoma awareness to the forefront and strengthen early detection efforts across India. Through a series of state-level consultations, we have sparked critical conversations, engaged key stakeholders, and, most importantly, taken actionable steps by facilitating free glaucoma screenings—both at our consultation venues and in our operational districts across India. Today, as we convene in Delhi, our multi-sectoral collaboration—uniting government bodies, healthcare professionals, media representatives, corporates and community; reaffirms the commitment to sustaining this momentum.”
Suresh Pattathil, Managing Director and General Manager, AbbVie India expressed his views, “From urban centres to remote communities, our 15-month collaboration with Sightsavers India has taken us across the length and breadth of the country, bringing glaucoma awareness, screenings, and expert-led discussions to the forefront Together, we have built momentum in our mission to preventing avoidable blindness, ensuring that early detection and access to care remain a priority. While this consultation marks the close of this phase, we are confident that our partnership and commitment to advancing eye health in India will continue, creating a lasting impact.”
Following the opening remarks, a keynote address was delivered by Dr. Suneeta Dubey, Medical Director and Director of Glaucoma Services, Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital highlighting the significance of early intervention and continued collaboration in addressing glaucoma.
Dr. Umang Mathur, CEO at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital shared his insights and opened the discussion by highlighting the need to integrate glaucoma care into high-volume eye hospitals.
Dr. Sandeep Buttan, Sightsavers India, moderated the panel discussion, steering conversations on key challenges, innovations, and policy-level solutions for improving glaucoma care in India.
The event then featured an engaging panel discussion with Padma Shri Dr. Virander S. Chauhan, Dr. Manav Deep Singh, Dr. Umang Mathur, Dr. Mohammed Asheel, and Mr. Arun Pandey. The experts explored the challenges in glaucoma management, the role of technology in early detection, and the critical need for integrated eye care policies. They also emphasized the importance of both digital and traditional media in spreading awareness about glaucoma, ensuring timely diagnosis, and encouraging proactive eye health practices among the public. This was followed by an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to seek insights and guidance from the specialists.
Mr. Prasannakumar P.N., Senior Director Programme Operations, Sightsavers India summarised key takeaways and reiterated the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing preventable blindness. He reflected on the collaboration between Sightsavers India and AbbVie India, highlighting how the consultations have helped shape a more structured and action-oriented approach to glaucoma care. He spoke about the progress made in identifying gaps in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as the steps taken to improve access to care. Acknowledging the collective efforts of various stakeholders, he emphasised that long-term impact will depend on continued cooperation, innovation and policy integration. Looking ahead, he reaffirmed Sightsavers India’s commitment to addressing early detection initiatives and ensuring glaucoma remains a key public health priority.
The felicitation and vote of thanks recognised the contributions of all stakeholders and outlined the next steps to sustain momentum in glaucoma awareness, early detection, and improved access to care.
With this consultation, Sightsavers India and AbbVie India reaffirm their commitment to promoting eye health and preventing avoidable blindness. The discussions and insights from the event will continue to shape awareness campaigns, screenings, and strengthen medical partnerships nationwide.
