India uses the post office network to provide free eye screenings and reading glasses to underserved populations

A pilot program in Assam State, India, is leveraging the country's massive post office network to provide free eye screenings and reading glasses to underserved populations. Launched through a partnership between the WHO and the Universal Postal Union, and implemented by VisionSpring, the initiative screened over 5,000 people between December 2025 and May 2026. Eighty percent of those receiving glasses were first-time wearers, highlighting a critical gap in rural vision care.

Post office vision screening pilot

• ▪The post office vision pilot program was initiated through a partnership between the World Health Organization and the Universal Postal Union
• ▪A pilot program in Assam State, India, utilizes the country's post office network to provide free eye screenings and reading glasses to remote populations

Global presbyopia treatment gap

• ▪The World Health Organization estimates that more than 800 million people globally suffer from presbyopia, which is age-related loss of close-up vision
• ▪In many lower-income countries, fewer than one in four people who need eyeglasses actually have them, according to the World Health Organization

VisionSpring pilot program results

• ▪Eighty percent of the individuals who received reading glasses during the Assam State post office pilot program were first-time wearers
• ▪Between December 2025 and May 2026, more than 5,000 people were screened for vision issues across five post offices in Assam State, India

Reading glasses economic impact

• ▪A study published in The Lancet Global Health found that providing reading glasses to tea pickers increased their productivity by nearly 22 percent
• ▪The post office vision pilot program in Assam State is scheduled to conclude in September 2026, after which data and funding will be evaluated

Post offices for health services

• ▪In France, postal letter carriers can check on elderly residents for a small fee to assess their well-being and access to food
• ▪In Japan and certain parts of the United States, postal carriers monitor mail accumulation to alert local agencies for welfare checks