VISION 2020 Government Tool Kit
WHO launches blindness prevention “Tool Kit”
 Download VISION 2020 Government Tool Kit |
|
The
World Health Organization and the International Agency for the
Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has launched a CD Rom Tool Kit intended
to help governments, nongovernmental organizations and health
professionals to develop National Prevention of Blindness Plans. The
kit, launched on World Sight Day on 10 October 2003, contains the
latest information, documents, web sites and slide shows offering
practical guidance on how to prevent blindness.
WHO estimates
that globally between 40 to 45 million people are blind and 135 million
have low vision. This despite the fact that 80 per cent of visual loss
can be prevented or cured, according to WHO and IAPB. “The latest
research shows that the numbers of people who needlessly become blind
are increasing. WHO is committed to reversing that trend,” said WHO Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook.
The
majority of blindness — an estimated 90 per cent — occurs in developing
countries where it takes a heavy economic toll at all levels of society
through lost productivity. “The cost of education, rehabilitation and
lost productivity due to blindness has a significant impact on
individuals, families,
communities and nations — particularly in the
poorest areas of the world. WHO will support countries in developing
the right to sight,” said LEE. The leading causes of avoidable
blindness and visual impairment are cataract, trachoma, river blindness
and conditions in children such as vitamin A deficiency and retinopathy
of pre-maturity. Their impact is accentuated by the lack of glasses and
low vision aids.
VISION 2020: The Right to Sight is a joint
initiative of WHO and IAPB working in partnership with other UN
agencies, governments, eye care organizations, health professionals,
institutions and individuals. Launched in 1999, it aims to eliminate
avoidable blindness by the year 2020. Governments
have already
indicated their commitment to the initiative by the unanimous adoption
of a resolution on Elimination of Avoidable Blindness at the 56th World
Health Assembly in May of this year. It urges governments to develop,
evaluate and implement National Prevention of Blindness Plans by 2007.
WHO News, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2003, 81 (11)
|
