Of them 80 percent are affected with cataract.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mizanur Rahman Sinha yesterday said this as chief guest while addressing a workshop on childhood blindness.

The workshop was jointly organised by Bangladesh Vision 2020 Forum, Ophthalmologic Society of Bangladesh (OSB), International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) and Childhood Blindness Project of Bangladesh (CBPB) at BRAC Centre here yesterday.

Professor MA Matin, MP, was the special guest while eminent eye specialist Professor Dr Saleh Uddin chaired the workshop.

Dr Clare Gilbert and Dr MA Muhit of ICEH presented keynote papers on child blindness.

Sinha said nearly 40 thousand children have been falling victim to visual impairment every year in the country due to lack of awareness.

"If we can create awareness among the people about the reason behind visual impairment and arrange for timely and effective ophthalmologic surgery for the affected child," he said. Recovery from cataract is possible through a simple and low cost operation, he added.

Referring to the initiatives taken by the government to ensure proper treatment for the eye diseases he said construction work of a 250-bed Eye Hospital and National Eye Institute is progressing smoothly.

He also called upon all concerned to ensure effective implementation of the programme for eradicating blindness by 2020.