The Jakarta Post

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Prevention matters: Keeping cataracts and glaucoma at bay

Regular eye examinations can detect sight-threatening conditions early, particularly in people at higher risk.

Sylviana Hamdani (Contributor)

Premium

Jakarta

Wed, September 2, 2026 Published on Sep. 2, 2026 Published on 2026-09-02T11:43:20+07:00

Set as preferred source

Early detection: A student takes a free eye examination on Aug. 29, 2026, during a social service event to detect vision problems early at the SLB Negeri Meulaboh special education school in Johan Pahlawan district, West Aceh, Aceh. (Antara/Syifa Yulinnas)

T

hey say the eyes are the mirror of the soul, revealing what words sometimes cannot. But our eyes are also a window to our health, and they can bear the consequences of conditions we may otherwise overlook.

Yet eye health is often neglected, even as some of the most serious threats to sight develop gradually and without obvious warning.

“Many patients routinely monitor their blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as their heart and kidney function, but not their eyes,” said Low Jin Rong, a consultant ophthalmologist at Cornerstone Eye Centre, Asian Healthcare Specialists, Singapore, during a health talk in Central Jakarta in late July.

The risks are reflected in a 2021 analysis of Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) surveys conducted in 15 provinces by Perdami (Indonesian Ophthalmologists Association) and the Health Ministry’s research and development agency (Litbangkes). It found that about 3 percent of Indonesians aged 50 and older were blind, with cataracts and glaucoma among the leading causes.

“The earlier you do it, the lower the risk, and the sooner you can enjoy good vision.” — Low Jin Rong, ophthalmologist

Cataracts: Treat them early

The 2021 RAAB analysis also found that untreated cataracts accounted for 81.2 percent of blindness among Indonesians aged 50 and older, making them the leading cause of blindness in this age group.