Vision Continuum 2026 and Academic Collaboration

Mankind Pharma announced an academic partnership with the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) and the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI) to organise Vision Continuum 2026, themed “Connecting Care. Preserving Sight. Across Generations.” The initiative targets public awareness of corneal transplantation, childhood myopia and overall eye health.

Vision Growth Card

As part of the programme, Mankind Pharma, in association with AIOS, introduced the Vision Growth Card, a tool designed to track children’s visual development, encourage regular follow‑ups between parents and eye‑care professionals, and facilitate structured documentation of vision metrics.

Key Speakers and Attendees

The event was attended by:

  • Dr. J. S. Titiyal, President, AIOS
  • Dr. Namrata Sharma, Scientific Chairperson, AIOS
  • Dr. Pravin K. Vaddavalli, Program Director, Universal Cornea Care Mission
  • Mr. Sudipta Roy, Senior President – Sales and Marketing, Mankind Pharma Ltd.

Statements on Myopia and Corneal Health

Mr. Sudipta Roy warned that the prevalence of myopia in children could increase to 48.14 % by 2050, emphasizing the need for early attention, regular monitoring and timely intervention. Dr. Titiyal highlighted that corneal blindness remains a major cause of preventable vision loss in India and that corneal transplantation can restore sight for patients with severe corneal damage.

Cornea Collection and Transplant Data

Dr. Namrata Sharma presented the latest ecosystem figures: in 2025‑26, 54,048 corneas were collected nationwide and 28,323 corneal transplants were performed. She noted that India requires approximately 200,000 corneas annually, indicating a substantial shortfall of roughly 146,000 corneas each year. While post‑COVID numbers have improved, they remain below pre‑pandemic levels.

Mankind Pharma – Company Overview

Mankind Pharma (BSE: 543904 | NSE: MANKIND) is one of India’s largest domestic pharmaceutical companies, operating across acute and chronic therapeutic areas such as anti‑infectives, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, antidiabetic, neuro/CNS, gynaecology, VMN and respiratory. The firm also runs a consumer‑healthcare business covering sexual wellness, pregnancy detection, emergency contraceptives, antacid powders, vitamin/mineral supplements and anti‑acne products. Following the acquisition of BSV, Mankind strengthened its position in women’s health. The company’s distribution network includes 18,500+ field professionals and reaches over five lakh doctors. It operates 32 manufacturing facilities and maintains 7 R&D centres with more than 740 scientists.

Conclusion

The collaborative effort aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of donor corneas, increase public participation in eye donation, and use tools like the Vision Growth Card to improve early detection and management of childhood myopia, thereby enhancing overall eye‑care outcomes in India.