Global Campaign to Eliminate Avoidable Blindness

[摘要]

The American Public Health Association,

Recognizing the enormous burden that communities' failure to accommodate the loss of sight places on individuals, families and their communities, and affirming the World Health Organization (WHO) global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness by the year 2020;¹ and

Affirming the challenges of health systems throughout the world that have inadequate and unfairly distributed resources which threaten to result in the potential doubling of blindness by 2020;² and

Recognizing that the WHO VISION 2020—The Right to Sight campaign offers an unprecedented opportunity as a worldwide partnership to marshal the resources and experiences of a broad global coalition of public and private nongovernmental organizations who are dedicated to the shared goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020;³ and

Noting that there is an estimated 180 million individuals globally who are visually impaired; that approximately 45 million are blind; that 9 out of 10 of the world’s blind live in developing countries; and that 60 percent of these individuals live in India, China and sub-Saharan Africa;^4–5 and 

Recognizing that a comprehensive program for the prevention of blindness requires a community-based strategy that incorporates attention to trachoma, blinding malnutrition, onchocerciasis, cataract, ocular trauma, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy;^6–7 and

Affirming the importance of expanding prevention of blindness programs to include refractive errors and low vision; recognizing that uncorrected refractive errors are a significant source of avoidable visual disability and functional blindness, especially in developing countries; and that there are approximately 35 million persons needing low vision services;^8–10 and 

Observing that a number of cost-effective models for the delivery of vision care, which utilize new technologies and delivery paradigms, such as the SAFE strategy for the control and elimination of blinding trachoma, offer the promise of significantly expanding access to vision care, especially in underserved communities in both developed and developing countries;^11–15 and

Recognizing the value of mobilizing optometrists, ophthalmologists, other vision care personnel, and community health workers; the critical importance of forging strategic alliances among these professionals, their organizations and the significant number of non-governmental organizations working in the field of blindness prevention;^16–18 and

Noting the global health challenge of addressing the significant disparities in access to vision care, in both developed and developing countries;^19–20 therefore

1. Recommends support of WHO’s VISION 2020: The Right to Sight global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness by encouraging educational programs that increase awareness of the broad societal impact of blindness and visual disability;
2. Suggests that eye care professional organizations promote coordinated prevention and primary care strategies that advance global partnerships which transcend political boundaries and emphasize a team approach; and
3. Calls for targeted projects that address racial, ethnic, geographic and economic disparities in access to primary vision care.

References

1. Prevention of Blindness Program. Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness: Vision 2020—The Right To Sight. Geneva: WHO, Fact Sheet 213, 2000. 
2. The World Health Report 2000. Health Systems: Improving Perfor–mance. Geneva: WHO, 2000.
3. Prevention of Blindness Program. Global Initiative for the Elim–ination of Avoidable Blindness: Vision 2020—The Right To Sight. Geneva: WHO, PBL/97.61 Rev. 1, 1997.
4. Thylefors B, Negrel D, et al. Global data on blindness. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 1995:73(1):115-121.
5. Thylefors B, Negrel D, et al. Available data on blindness. Ophthalmic Epidemiology 1995:2(1):5-39.
6. Strategies for the Prevention of Blindness in National Programs. Geneva: WHO, 1997.
7. Sommer A: Vitamin Deficiency and its Consequences. Geneva: WHO, 1995.
8. Prevention of Blindness Program. Control of Major Blinding Diseases and Disorders. Geneva: WHO, Fact Sheet 214, 2000. 
9. Ellwein LB, Negrél A. Scope of refractive errors as a cause of visual disability. Informal Planning Meeting on the Elimination of Avoidable Visual Disability due to Refractive Errors. Geneva: WHO, July 2000.
10. Pokharel GP, Negrel D, et al. Refractive error study in children: results from Mechi Zone, Nepal. Am J Ophthalmology 2000;129(4):436-444.
11. World Health Organization. Future Approaches to Trachoma Control: Report of a Global Scientific Meeting WHO/PBL/96.56. Geneva: WHO, 1996. 
12. Pizzarello L, Tilp M, et al. A new school-based program to provide eyeglasses: ChildSight. J AAPOS 1998;2(6):372-374.
13. Holden B, Stretton S, et al. Technology: core requirements. Informal Planning Meeting on the Elimination of Avoidable Visual Disability due to Refractive Errors. Geneva: WHO, July 2000.
14. Berger IB, Pike S, et al. A new paradigm for primary eye care in developing countries. Presentation at the 128th Annual meeting of the APHA, November 2000.
15. Weissberg, EM, Moore B, et al. A simple and cost-effective plan for enhancing vision care in developing countries. Presentation at the 128th Annual meeting of the APHA, November 2000.
16. Di Stefano AF. Push to Prevent Blindness. World Optometry 2000;115:1,4.
17. Naidoo K. Towards a new model in training and delivery of optometric education. Optom Education 2000;25(2):59-61.
18. Marshall E. Optometry in Asia. World Optometry. 2000;115:13-14.
19. Addressing racial, ethnic health gaps: National leaders commit to eliminating disparities. Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association, November 2000.
20. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2010: Vision and Hearing. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 1999.

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[发布日期] 2001-01-01

[学科分类] 医学（综合）