From providing primary eye care to creating a gender equal world: top SocialStories this week

Health has been the major focus among stories this week on SocialStory. While the interaction with Lenskart Foundation took us through the need for expanding eye care facilities across the country, we also delved into the impact of 5G technology advancement on the healthcare sector.

SocialStory also listed a few startups that are working towards elderly care.

Inside Lenskart Foundation’s efforts to provide primary eye care to Indians

When it comes to eye care in India, the statistics are dismal. India, the ‘blind capital of the world’, has nearly 40% of the world's blind population, where 80% of ailments are avoidable with proper care and eye tests.  

According to reports, India does not have enough eye care professionals to work along with ophthalmologists to deliver comprehensive eye care to the country’s 1.38 billion population.

In 2020, Peyush Bansal, Founder and CEO of Lenskart, and his wife, Nidhi Mittal Bansal, started Lenskart Foundation. They realised the country’s primary eye care sector, which involves getting eyes tested and wearing corrective lenses if required, needs a lot of work.

“While Lenskart is trying to make eyewear and eye care as accessible as possible, the business cannot cater to a particular section of the society. And this is where Lenskart Foundation comes in,” Nidhi Mittal Bansal, Chairperson of Lenskart Foundation, tells SocialStory.

How 5G adoption can help telemedicine tackle healthcare challenges

Being at the cusp of technological innovations, healthcare is witnessing the inception of an array of cutting-edge technologies that continue to improve care and change the way care is delivered. Connectivity, now more than ever, is emerging as a crucial technology for the healthcare industry, providing equitable care to all who need or depend on it.

Telemedicine coupled with enhanced connectivity has the power to increase the value of virtual interaction by allowing for higher resolution video and images. Patients can video chat with physicians from their homes, and healthcare professionals are leaving the clipboards at bay for more efficacious digital data management systems. However, this is just the start of a bigger transformation.

Meet the 20-year-old social activist trying to create a gender equal world

Sagarika Deka from Guwahati dreams of creating an equal world. Having volunteered with organisations on gender and development issues, she realised there was a need for more youth-led initiatives in northeast India.

Her interest began after watching videos and documentaries on women’s rights, in particular, one about the rape of Rohingya women, which horrified her.

“I was introduced to the United Nations Human Rights Council by my teachers in middle school and since then, I wanted to be a part of it. However, I wasn't sure how to get started,” Sagarika, now an undergraduate student at Amity University, Noida, tells SocialStory.

5 eldercare startups that are making the lives of senior citizens easier

The average human lifespan has doubled over the past 100 years, with the senior population increasing significantly as life expectancy rises. India’s senior population is now at 134 million, with one out of every five adults in the country a senior citizen. The 60+ group is today the fastest growing segment of India.

According to the National Statistical Office's (NSO) Elderly in India 2021 report, India's elderly population (aged 60 and above) is expected to reach 194 million in 2031, up from 138 million in 2021, a 41 percent increase over a decade.

There has been a huge demand for eldercare support, especially after COVID-19, and numerous startups and organisations are innovating to disrupt this sector.