48 Vision 2020

Vision 2020: The right
to sight
Dr.Rajesh Babu B
MS, FMRF, MSc (CEH) ICEH,LSHTM UK
Consultant
Uveitis & Ocular Immunology
Ocular Epidemiology & Community Eye Health
Narayana Nethralaya , Bangalore

to sight
An estimated 45 million people worldwide are
blind.
Every year, an additional 1-2 million persons go
blind.
More than two-thirds of this blindness is treatable
and preventable.
A majority of the blind live in the poorest section
of the developing world.
Without proper interventions the number of blind
will increase to 75 million by 2020.
Restoration of sight is one of the most costeffective interventions in health care.
Introduction
The World Health Organization
(WHO) and the International
Agency for the Prevention of
Blindness have developed a
global initiative for the
elimination of avoidable
blindness by the year 2020;
"Vision 2020: the right to sight".

to sight
Ministries
of Health
International
NGOs
IAPB,UK
Sightsavers
international,UK
CBM, Germany
ORBIS,USA
OEU,Canada
Major corporate members
Established 20 years
ago, the MECTIZAN
Donation Program is
the single largest,
longest standing
public/private
partnership of its
kind and is widely
regarded as one of
the most successful
public-private health
collaborations in the
world.
Under the VISION

2020 programme Carl
Zeiss will be major
supporter for the
establishment of five
training centres
within the next five
years. The funds will
be used for training
staff and equipping
the centre.
Seeing is Believing
programme has
contributed
substantially to the
global VISION 2020
initiative, combining
awareness-creating,
volunteering as well as
millions of dollars in
fundraising support.

to sight
The name is suggestive both of
the goal, the prevention of
avoidable vision loss and
blindness by the year 2020 and
the notion of good vision, 20/20
(6/6) vision as the target.
Five key areas for action
Cataract,
Trachoma,
Onchocerciasis,
Childhood blindness,
Refractive error and low vision.
Three strategies
Human
Resource
Developmen
t
Infrastructur
e
Developmen
Creating adequate
eye-caretfacilities,
Creating a
foundation of welltrained eye-care
workers.
particularly in
underprivileged
areas using
appropriate
technology.
Creating a
workers.
Disease
Control
Programmes
Implementing
specific
programmes to
control the major
causes of
blindness.
Specific activities
Intensified surgical intervention for
Cataract, which at present accounts
for half of all blindness
Provision of spectacles, especially for
school children.
Prevention and treatment of
nutritional deficiencies that lead to
blindness in children.
VISION 2020 APPROACH

Groups of communities with high levels
of blindness will be identified.
Eye-care infrastructure and manpower
will be provided to these communitieswithin catchment populations of
500,000 to 1 million people.
Affordable high quality eye care
services would be provided using these
resources.
Disease
Control
Programmes
Cataract
Onchocerciasis
Trachoma
Implementing
specific
programmes to
control the major
causes of
blindness.
Childhood
Blindness
Refractive
Error
Diabetic
Retinopathy
Glaucoma
Ivermectin distribution, vector cont

SAFE strategy
Childhood Blindness
To identify areas where childhood blindness from preventable disease is common and to
encourage preventive measures, for example:
(a) Measles immunization;
(b) Vitamin A supplementation;
(c) Nutrition education;
(d) Avoidance of harmful traditional practices;
(e) Monitoring of use of oxygen in newborns.
To provide specialist training and services for the management of surgically remediable
visual loss in children from:
(a) Congenital cataract;
(b) Congenital glaucoma;
(c) Corneal scar;
(d) Retinopathy of prematurity.
Childhood Blindness
To develop low vision services for visually handicapped children.
To promote school screening programmes for the diagnosis and management of common
conditions, i.e.:
(a) Refractive errors, particularly myopia;
(b) trachoma (in endemic areas).
To promote education about "How to look after your eyes" as part of the normal school
curriculum for children.
To make sure that all children in blind schools are examined by an ophthalmologist (using
the WHO form where possible) and receive medical,surgical, optical or low vision service to
maximise potential vision.
Vitamin A deficiency.
To work closely with nutrition, immunisation and PHC systems to achieve and
sustain elimination of vitamin A deficiency.
To establish surveillance systems to identify any new cases of blinding
xerophthalmia and report the occurrence for action by child survival programmes.
Refractive Error and Low

Vision
Create awareness and demand for refractive services
through community-based services/primary eye care and school
screening.
Develop accessible refractive services for individuals
identified with significant refractive errors.
Training in refraction and dispensing for paramedical eye
workers if ophthalmologists and/or refractionists are not
available in sufficient number.
Ensure that optical services provide affordable spectacles
for individuals with significant refractive errors.
Develop and make available low vision services and optical
devices for all those in need, including children in blind-school or
integrated education.
Certain low vision devices can be manufactured locally, or
purchased externally in bulk supplies to reduce costs.
Include the provision of comprehensive low vision care as
an integral part of national programmes for the prevention of
blindness, or rehabilitative services for the visually disabled.
Infrastructure
Development of district-level eye care services, with
Development
Infrastructur primary eye care integrated into the PHC system for a
e
Developmen
Creating adequate
eye-caretfacilities,
particularly in
underprivileged
areas using
appropriate
technology.
Creating a
workers.
population of between 0.5 and 2 million people.

To provide practitioners, hospitals and clinics with
information on good-quality and affordable
appropriate technology.
To provide appropriate donated equipment to
countries which cannot afford its purchase.
To assist users to evaluate, select and purchase
appropriate equipment using methods which will help to
prolong its useful life.
To introduce new technologies such as computers
and computer networks to improve management
efficiency and information exchange.
Conduct feasibility studies on new technologies to
ensure cost-effectiveness.
Human Resource
Development
Create one ophthalmologist post and facility per 250
Human
Resource
Developmen
t
Creating a
workers.
000 population through government and/or private

Sector with equal distribution for urban and rural
populations.
Where there are insufficient ophthalmologists, train
OMAs and ophthalmic nurses for secondary eye
care.
All medical graduates to be trained in basic eye
care.
Train sufficient and appropriate staff for refraction of
underserved populations.
Provide training in basic principles of management for
medical/paramedical staff.
Develop manpower for equipment
maintenance/repair, low-cost spectacle production
and eye drop preparation.
Achievements
Thanks to VISION 2020 advocacy, all 193 WHO member states are
formally committed to investing in eye care
Two World Health Assembly resolutions have urged WHO member

states to develop and implement VISION 2020 national plans, and WHO
to provide technical assistance
A WHO Action Plan for Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment

has now been prepared and was unanimously adopted at the 2009
World Health Assembly
135 countries have participated in a VISION 2020 workshop
107 countries have formed national VISION 2020 committees
91 countries have drafted national eye care plans
To date, 15 million fewer people are blind compared with projections

made when the initiative was launched *
The many successes of VISION 2020 have been achieved through a unique,
cross-sector collaboration, which enables public, private and philanthropic
interests to work together, helping people to see, all over the world.
Useful resources
http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm
http://www.iceh.org.uk
http://www.iapb.org/
http://www.who.int/blindness/partnerships/vision
2020/en/
www.v2020eresource.org
www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk
www.worldblindunion.org
www.sightsavers.org
www.cbm.org
www.icoph.org
MSc (Ocular Epidemiology & Community Eye

Health)
Batch of 2008-09
ICEH, LSHTM UK

48 Vision 2020

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Vision 2020: The right

Vision 2020: The right

Vision 2020: The right

Major corporate members

Under the VISION

Vision 2020: The right

Five key areas for action

VISION 2020 APPROACH

Ivermectin distribution, vector cont

Refractive Error and Low

population of between 0.5 and 2 million people.

000 population through government and/or private

Two World Health Assembly resolutions have urged WHO member

A WHO Action Plan for Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment

135 countries have participated in a VISION 2020 workshop

107 countries have formed national VISION 2020 committees

91 countries have drafted national eye care plans

To date, 15 million fewer people are blind compared with projections

MSc (Ocular Epidemiology & Community Eye

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