[Prevention of blindness is still the great challenge faced by Chinese ophthalmology]

The prevention of blindness got the great progress recent five years. However, the situation of blindness and visual impairment didn't improve radically. According to the outcomes of Second National Survey of Disabled Persons in 2006, the prevalence of the visual disabled persons was 1.53%. The total number of visual disabled persons was 20.035 millions. The leading cause of the visual disabled was cataract. The progress for eliminating cataract blindness is relatively slow. The cataract surgical rate is lower. If pay no more attention to the prevention of blindness, the goal of 'Vision 2020' may not be reached by 2020. Prevention of blindness is still a great challenge faced by Chinese ophthalmology. At present, some preparation have been made for the further activities of the prevention of blindness. The human and financial resources for the prevention of blindness are be developing. The reform of medical system in China is in favor to the activities of prevention of blindness in future. The development of the ophthalmic organizations can provide the enough professional personnel for the prevention of blindness. In the future activities of the prevention of blindness, the new mechanism is be facing to explore and construct for the persistent, efficient prevention of blindness. Recently, government launched the program 'Restore the vision for one million poor cataract blindness' is a momentous milestone affair in the prevention of blindness in China, which will promote the further activities for prevention of blindness.