Keeping their eyes on the road

Sandeep Kumar, a truck driver from India, stands in front of his truck.

In September 2017, one of the country’s biggest Eye Health Programmes for the truck drivers’ community was launched. The programme seeks to reach out to 500,000 truck drivers and helpers of the laborious 9 million truck drivers and transporters community present in India. This 9 million-truck driver community transports 65% of national cargo by road.

Sightsavers realises the importance of eye health for the overworked truckers’ community in ensuring road safety. Since drivers can’t get to eye care services, Sightsavers in India have created a system which takes the services directly to them. RAAHI is one of the biggest eye health programmes in the country for the overworked truck drivers’ community.

The programme’s ingenious: there are over 54 sites around India’s ‘golden quadrilateral’, which covers the main long distance haulage routes across the whole country. Some are permanent vision centres, others pop-up outreach camps, but all are in locations where drivers stop as part of their usual route to rest or unload cargo.

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Sandeep wears special glasses while an eye health worker tests his eyes.

Truckers queue up to be registered by eye health workers at the screening camp.

Indian truck drivers sit on the ground and relax in front of their trucks.

Mohammad Islam Ansari sitting in his orange truck looking out of the door.

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What we do

More on the programme

Stories / Eye health /

Rakesh, a 48-year-old truck driver from Satna, has spent the last 11 years navigating the country's highways to support his wife and three young children.

Reports / Eye health /

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Eyes on the Road: Chhattisgarh’s First Woman Truck Driver Sheds Light on Eye Health

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Meet Selvamani G, a remarkable 56-year-old woman defying stereotypes in the male-dominated truck driving industry.

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"Thank you, Sightsavers India, for transforming lives like mine."

News / Eye health /

September 2022

News / Eye health /

September 2022

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The event was attended by internationally acclaimed actor and director, Mr Kabir Bedi who is also the Honorary Brand Ambassador for Sightsavers India, and Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

September 2022

Blogs / Eye health /

India is home to over 9 million truck drivers. Truck drivers play a significant role in transporting India’s freight; however their unorganised nature of work prohibits them to take their health issues seriously.

Shailendra Kumar, Deepshikha Sharma & Jatin Tiwari, July 2021

News / Events /

February 2021

News / Eye health /

February 2021

News / Eye health /

Extending eye services to the least served areas, Sightsavers India is enabling people to live lives of independence and dignity

May 2020

We work to eliminate avoidable blindness and help bring about equality for people with disabilities.

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Keeping their eyes on the road

Find out more about our work

More on the programme

Rakesh's story

Bridging Vision Gaps: A Comprehensive Study of The RAAHI Programme for Improving Truckers' Eye Health in India

Kajal's story

Selvamani's story

Jaiprakash's story

Effectiveness of Ready2Clip Spectacles among Truck Drivers; Findings from National Truckers Eye Health Programme

Eyes on the Highway: RAAHI National Truckers’ Eye Health Programme-Learnings and Reflections

Sightsavers India celebrated five years of RAAHI- National Truckers Eye Health Programme

RAAHI– Serving those that serve us

Photography Contest - “Safe eyes for Safer roads”

Sightsavers India partner's with JSPL to provide Primary Eye Health Services for Truck Drivers

Right to sight

Protecting sight and promoting disability inclusion