Mankind Pharma, AIOS and EBAI Collaborate to Raise Eye Health Awareness
New Delhi, October 2026: Mankind Pharma has partnered with the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) and the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI) to promote awareness of corneal health, eye donation and childhood myopia through an academic collaboration titled Vision Continuum 2026.
Held under the theme “Connecting Care. Preserving Sight. Across Generations,” the initiative focused on improving public understanding of corneal transplantation, encouraging early detection and timely intervention for childhood myopia, and promoting regular eye care among children and adults.
As part of the initiative, Mankind Pharma developed the Vision Growth Card in association with AIOS. The tool is designed to help parents track children’s visual development and encourage regular follow-ups with eye-care professionals.
The programme was attended by Dr. J. S. Titiyal, President, AIOS; Dr. Namrata Sharma, Scientific Chairperson, AIOS; and Dr. Pravin K. Vaddavalli, Program Director, Universal Cornea Care Mission, along with ophthalmologists and other healthcare stakeholders.
Mr. Sudipta Roy, Senior President – Sales and Marketing, Mankind Pharma Ltd., highlighted the need for early attention to childhood myopia. He said that, according to the data cited at the programme, the prevalence of myopia among children may reach 48.14% by 2050. He emphasised early attention, regular monitoring and timely intervention.
Dr. J. S. Titiyal, President, AIOS, highlighted corneal blindness as a major cause of preventable and treatable vision loss in India. He noted that corneal transplantation can help restore sight for patients with severe corneal damage caused by disease, injury or infection.
Dr. Titiyal also emphasised the need to address the gap between the demand for and availability of donor corneas through greater public awareness and participation in eye donation. He highlighted the potential of the Vision Growth Card to encourage parents to monitor their children’s visual development and maintain regular eye-care follow-ups.
Dr. Namrata Sharma, Scientific Chairperson, AIOS, called for further strengthening India’s eye donation and corneal transplantation ecosystem. According to the figures shared at the programme, India collected 54,048 corneas and performed 28,323 corneal transplants in 2025–26, against an estimated annual requirement of approximately 200,000 corneas.
Dr. Sharma noted that although eye donation and transplantation have improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels. She also highlighted the role of regular childhood vision monitoring and structured documentation, such as the Vision Growth Card, in supporting timely intervention and communication between parents and eye-care professionals.
Through Vision Continuum 2026, Mankind Pharma, AIOS and EBAI aim to strengthen public awareness of eye health, encourage eye donation and promote early identification of childhood vision problems. The collaboration combines professional knowledge-sharing with awareness initiatives intended to help families make informed decisions about eye care.
