The management of global blindness

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Ophthalmology
• Global Health Initiatives

Background:

• The World Health Organisation and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness launched VISION 2020 to eliminate avoidable blindness.
• Uncorrected refractive errors represent a significant cause of vision loss, affecting up to 500 million individuals globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the magnitude and causes of global blindness.
• To describe the management structure for global blindness initiatives.
• To emphasize the crucial role of optometrists in addressing avoidable blindness.

Main Methods:

• Review of global blindness statistics and causes.
• Analysis of the organizational structure for VISION 2020.
• Discussion of the scope of optometric participation.

Main Results:

• Avoidable blindness, particularly from refractive errors, is a major global health issue.
• A structured approach involving multiple levels of participation is essential for managing global blindness.
• Optometrists are vital for achieving the goals of VISION 2020.

Conclusions:

• The VISION 2020 initiative provides a framework for tackling global blindness.
• Addressing uncorrected refractive errors requires widespread optometric engagement.
• Coordinated efforts are necessary to achieve the target of eliminating avoidable blindness.