Premature babies lose sight at higher rate due to ROP: Al-Shifa Trust

RAWALPINDI: Premature babies in Pakistan are losing their sight at rates far above global averages as a treatable eye condition, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), continues to go undetected across large parts of the country.

According to data compiled by Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital ROP develops when abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina of premature infants, which can lead to permanent blindness. Although timely screening and treatment can prevent most cases, access to ROP services remains limited, with only a small number of hospitals offering consistent screening.Pakistan recorded an estimated 921,600 preterm births in 2020, placing it among the highest globally. The country’s preterm birth rate of 14.4 percent ranks Pakistan fourth worldwide in total preterm births and third in neonatal deaths.

Clinical studies show that 32.2 percent of eligible premature infants in Pakistan develop ROP, nearly double the 12 to 18 percent reported in high-income countries. A 2025 study published in BioMed Central Ophthalmology linked the higher burden to improved survival of premature babies without a parallel expansion in screening and treatment capacity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026