WORLD Sight Day (WSD12) is observed every year on the second Thursday of October as an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. It is being observed on October 11 this year. Activists in the eye care sector around the world usually arrange diversified activities around the date. There is no global theme for WSD12, which allows each participating organisation to use the occasion to highlight its own priority areas to address the requirements of its own target audiences.

More than 285 million people in the world are visually impaired, of which 90% are from developing countries. These people are disconnected from the mainstream development process and in many cases such visually impaired persons are thought of as burdens to their families and the society as a whole. But in 80% of the cases visual impairment is preventable. VISION 2020 was launched in February 1999 to enable all parties and individuals involved in combating blindness in a focused and coordinated way to achieve the common

goal of eliminating preventable and treatable blindness

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (1APB) with an international membership of NGOs, professional associations, eye care institutions and corporations launched VISION 2020 as a global initiative.

VISION 2020 is about making a world in which no one is needlessly blind and where those with unavoidable vision loss can achieve their full potential. The overall aim is to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness and prevent the projected doubling of avoidable vision impairment between 1990 and 2020. From the outset, it has been clear that the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness would best be achieved by integrating an equitable, sustainable, comprehensive eyecare system into every national health system. The VISION 2020 initiative is intended to strengthen national health-care systems and facilitate national capacity-building.

The mission of VISION 2020 is to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020 by facilitating the planning, development and implementation of sustainable national eye care programmes based on the three core strategies of disease control, human resource development and infrastructure and technology; incorporating the principles of primary health care. This will be achieved by mobilising the will and passion for action through advocacv and by mobilising

resources.

The objectives of the programme are to increase awareness, within key audiences, of the causes of avoidable blindness and the solutions to the problem; advocate for and secure the necessary resources to increase prevention and treatment activities; and facilitate the planning, development and implementation of national VISION 2020 programmes in all countries.

Vision 2020 involves the active participation of UN agencies, governments, eye care organisations, health professionals, philanthropic institutions and individuals working together in global partnership to accomplish this goal by the year 2020.

According to WHO, of the estimated 285 million visually impaired population worldwide, 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision comprising severe or moderate visual impairment; preventable causes are as high as 80% of the total global visual impairment burden; uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of visual impairment; cataracts are the leading cause of blindness; 65% of visually impaired; and 82% of blind people are over 50 years of age, although this age group comprises only 20% of the

world population. The main causes of visual impairment are refractive errors, cataracts and glaucoma, while the main causes of blindness are cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

VISION 2020 is built on a foundation of community participation. Overarching issues, such as

equity, quality of services and visual outcomes, are addressed as part of national programmes.

Some of the major achievements under VISION 2020 initiatives are: all 193 WHO member states are formally committed to investing in eye care; World Health Assembly resolutions have urged WHO member states to develop and implement VISION 2020 national plans, with WHO providing technical assistance; a WHO Action Plan for Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment has been prepared and was unanimously adopted at the 2009 World Health Assembly; 135 countries 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.

The writer is Project Coordinator, Dhaka Urban Comprehensive Eye Care Project. E-mail: duecp@yahoo.com