Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. With ageing of the population, glaucoma morbidity will rise, causing increased health care costs and economic burden for a condition in which visual loss, once established, cannot be reversed. In contrast to western countries, primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a major form of glaucoma in Asia. In a recent population based survey in Singapore, the prevalence of glaucoma was 3.2% in the Chinese population over 40. Glaucoma was the leading cause of blindness, with PACG the most visually destructive form of the disease.