WHO Highlights Karnataka’s Asha Kirana Eye Care Model
Report highlights 393 Drishti Kendras as a major step towards a blindness-free Karnataka
The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Government of Karnataka and World Health Organization (WHO) have released a new report on Karnataka’s Asha Kirana eye-care initiative.
The report is titled Advancing integrated, people-centred eye-care. The organisations released it in India to mark World Sight Day on 8 October.
The report shows how Karnataka has added Asha Kirana to its primary healthcare system. It also tracks the programme’s growth across eight districts since 2022.
During this period, Asha Kirana completed 14 million primary vision screenings. The programme also provided more than 4.5 lakh free spectacles.
In addition, more than 2.5 lakh cataract surgeries took place during the study period.
393 Drishti Kendras Join the Health System
A key achievement is the integration of 393 vision centres, known as Drishti Kendras, into Karnataka’s public health system.
These centres are now a permanent part of the state health network. They bring basic eye-care services closer to local communities.
The centres focus on access, quality and long-term care. They also connect with secondary surgical centres.
As a result, patients can move to higher levels of care when needed. The centres support cataract surgery and treatment for complex eye conditions.
This network helps create a more connected eye-care system across the state.
Karnataka Reaffirms Its Eye-Care Goals
Hon’ble Minister of Health, Government of Karnataka, Shri U T Khader Fareed released the report.
Venu Ambati, President Greater India, EssilorLuxottica and Director, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, attended the event. Dr B Mohammed Asheel, National Professional Officer, Non-Communicable Diseases, WHO India, joined online.
Speaking at the release, Shri U T Khader Fareed, Hon’ble Minister of Health, Government of Karnataka, said:
“We are proud to be one of the few progressive States in India with a clear vision of becoming blindness-free. Our systematic approach towards addressing access to healthy vision is now a documented case study for a holistic approach to eyecare in India. The 393 Dristhi Kendras spread across community health centres, taluka hospitals and district hospitals are in line with the mission of Asha Kirana to prevent and mitigate avoidable blindness and visual impairment in Karnataka state by addressing the two conditions responsible for most of the avoidable vision loss, uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts.
“We are thankful to the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation for partnering with us in our journey towards institutionalizing Asha Kirana- a successful model of integrating eye care in the public health system.”
Additionally, the Hon’ble Minister stated:
“The OneSight Foundation has been consistently working with Asha Kiranas, developing their skill, capability and knowledge towards delivering universal, community-based door-to-door vision screenings and reducing avoidable blindness across the region.
“I am pleased to note that the World Sight Day 2026 celebrations will witness 40,000 Asha Kiranas receiving free sunglasses from the Foundation. To mark this occasion, the Foundation has organised a Blind Walk from the Vidhan Saudha that includes participation from citizens from all walks of life. I congratulate the OneSight Foundation for their concerted efforts towards moving vision forward.”
OneSight Foundation Sees Wider Potential
Venu Ambati, President Greater India, EssilorLuxottica and Director, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, said:
“We are proud through our foundation OneSight, to partner with the Government of Karnataka in our journey towards providing equitable eye care. The success of the Asha Kirana model in Karnataka along with the 393 Dristhi Kendra is a proof point of scalability: from a state innovation to a globally replicable model.
“In line with our commitment towards building a healthier vision, we look forward to partnering with States for a potential roll out of Asha Kirana as a model for national programme implementation. States could be encouraged to adopt the core principles of the WHO’s Integrated Patient-centred Eye-care while working on community-anchored screening through health worker networks, and the setup of permanent vision centres, as part of the primary healthcare mechanism.
“We continue to remain thankful to the State of Karnataka for co-creating this model and are proud that the WHO has through this Report documented the steps that each State can take to build a collaborative ecosystem that encourages holistic eye care management.”
WHO Recognises the Asha Kirana Model
Dr Mohammed Asheel, Country Focal Point, Eye care, WHO India said:
“The significance of Asha Kirana extends far beyond eye care in Karnataka. The initiative provides an example of how WHO’s vision for Integrated People-Centred Eye Care (IPEC) can be operationalized in a resource-constrained setting.
“Asha Kirana demonstrates how these principles can be translated into operational strategies, including community-based service delivery, workforce empowerment, the use of technology to strengthen accountability, targeted approaches to equity, and the creation of enabling environments.
“The model illustrates the importance of systems thinking, political commitment, and the translation of policy principles into operational mechanisms. For this reason, Asha Kirana offers valuable lessons for documentation, learning, and adaptation in other settings.
“It illustrates how WHO frameworks can be translated from policy into implementation within a public health programme.”
Overall, the report presents Asha Kirana as a practical eye-care model. It brings screening, local vision centres and specialist care together.
The model can therefore help other states improve access to eye care. It also shows how public health systems can build stronger community-based services.
