CARIBBEAN COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Celebrating the 26th anniversary of World Sight Day while serving the Caribbean for more than 59 years – Sept. 1967 to present
First Semi-annual Ranking of Optometrists to Population, English-speaking Caribbean
Arvel.grant@eyecarecaribbean.com.
Advancing WHA resolution A74/9: integrated people-centered eye care, including preventable vision impairment and blindness.
1. Introduction
Noting the 26th annual celebration of World Sight Day, the following table ranks the ratio of optometrists to population in countries of the English-speaking Caribbean.
We included the United Kingdom as a benchmark indicator.
Around the world, optometrists are recognized as the primary providers (leading edge) of vision care services.
Therefore, countries should have enough optometrists to ensure that each resident can have an eye exam (at least every 2 years, or as often as their vision care provider recommends).
2. Summary of These Rankings
Jamaica, Belize, Bahamas at bottom; Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados in top three; with the OECS at position #4.
The data used is taken from information published by health authorities in selected countries.
Where national health systems do not make relevant data available, other sources are explored.
1. In the English-speaking Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago leads with a ratio of 1 optometrist to 5,244 people.
2. Guyana is in second place with 1 optometrist to 9,070.
3. Barbados takes 3rd place with a ratio of 1 optometrist to 12,260.
4. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in 4th place, with est. 1 optometrist to 41,562 people.
5. Commonwealth of the Bahamas appears 5th from top, with gaps in its 2026 reporting profile.
6. Belize is 6th from top and 2nd from bottom, with 1 optometrist to 142,666 people.
7. Jamaica is at bottom of the rankings with a ratio of 1 optometrist to 157,468.
8. Interestingly, the United Kingdom (with just under 70 million people) has 1 optometrist to 3,698.
9. There is urgent need for international volunteer optometrists to help close service gaps in underserved countries, while internal registration and training are improved.
10. These rankings require Jamaica, Belize, Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to provide accessible, affordable and available vision care to their populations.
Optometrists to Population, English-speaking Caribbean, World Sight Day 2026
| Country | Registered Optometrists to population 2010 | New Training Program | Population 2026 | Number of Registered Optometrists | Registered Optometrists to population 2026 | Source |
| United Kingdom | 1 to 4,795 | N/A | 69,900,000 | 18,900 | 1 to 3,698 | https://www.statista.com/statistics/318879/numbers-of-ophthalmic-opticians-in-the-uk/ |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 to 11.799 | 2009 | 1,500,000 | 286 | 1 to 5,244 | https://ttorc.net/professionals/ |
| Guyana | 1 to 249,310 | 2010 | 1,025,000 | 113 | 1 to 9,070 | https://medicalcouncil.org.gy/index.php/reg/doctors-cme-summary-grades-4 |
| Barbados | 1 to 19,842 | N/A | 282,000 | 23 | 1 to 12,260 | https://www.health.gov.bb/Councils/Paramedical-Professions-Council |
| OECS | Est.1 to 78,00 | N/A | 630,000 | Est 15 | Est 1 to 41,652 | No publicly available data |
| Bahamas | 1 to 29, 288 | N/A | 405,000 | – | No public data available | https://extranet.who.int |
| Belize | 1 to 104,000 | N/A | 428,000 | 3 | 1 to 142,660 | https://www.bcvi.org/primary-eye-care-programme/ |
| Jamaica | 1 to 192,857 | 2022 | 2,830,000 | 18 | Est 1 to 157,222 | https://www.neco.edu/news/raising-awareness-about-the-optometric-profession-in-jamaica/ |
Optometrists to Population – 1st Semi-annual Caribbean Ranking – World Sight Day, Thursday, 8th October 2026
Shortly, we will update these rankings to include number of optometrists required by each country to achieve current ratio in Trinidad & Tobago.
3. Conclusions
Jamaica: at 1 optometrist to 157,468 people, it will take the (approximately) 18 optometrists in Jamaica more than 31 years to examine the last patient if they work every day for the rest of their professional lives.
Trinidad-Tobago, Guyana and Barbados have not solved all their vision care challenges. But they are well within range of the high vision care standards achieved by the government and people of the United Kingdom.
Guyana and Trinidad invested in optometry training programs, and those are paying high dividends.
There are no clear reasons why Jamaica, Belize, Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the countries which make up the OECS cannot invest in sustainable optometry training programs.
Antigua-Barbuda (having led adoption of UN Resolution A/75/L.108 “Vision for Everyone: accelerating action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”) is uniquely placed to improve its ranking in the near term.
The countries which make up the OECS, as well as Belize, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and Jamaica, must do more to achieve efficacy in collection and reporting of health stats relating to vision care.
Future rankings will compile available data on optometrists to ophthalmologist and cataract surgical rates (CSR) to population.
To achieve vision care efficacy, national health systems need at least 4 optometrists referring to 1 ophthalmologist.
CCB-Eye Care Caribbean will develop and publish the next semi-annual edition of these rankings on or before World Health Day, April 7th, 2027.
Researched by Dr Khohane Blake: BSO; MSC (Optometry); MPH (Medical Epidemiology); UK Certified Diabetic Retinopathy Specialist
Consultant Optometrist, khohane.blake@eyecarecaribbean.com
Reviewed and narrated by Arvel Grant, BSC-SW (Hons); DPA; MPH
Public Health and International Development Specialist.