It is a sad reflection on the provision of eye care worldwide, that of 30 million blind people in the world today, over 50% could be helped to see again by simple cataract surgery and a further 25% could have been prevented from going blind by basic promotive and preventive health care. Unfortunately the number of blind in the world is still increasing, largely because of an inadequacy of primary and secondary eye care services to people living in poor areas of the world. There is an urgent need to train health workers to provide these essential services.