World Sight Day - 12 October 2006
Low Vision and Refractive Errors
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- Brian (6), is a low vision patient in a project run by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in Kenya. © CBM
Imagine, you can’t go to school, because you can’t see what is written on the board and no glasses can help you. Many of the 124 million people with low vision, most living in developing countries, know what this means. In 2006 World Sight Day focuses on their situation.
In a joint effort with other member organisations of the world-wide campaign VISION 2020 The Right To Sight, CBM aims to draw public attention to blindness as a major international public health issue.
The Facts:
In a joint effort with other member organisations of the world-wide campaign VISION 2020 The Right To Sight, CBM aims to draw public attention to blindness as a major international public health issue.
The Facts:
- 37 million people are blind and 124 million have low vision
- 75% of blindness is avoidable – either by prevention or treatment
- 100 million men, women and children will be savedfrom goingblind, and from the poverty and social exclusion blindnesscan bring, bythe successful implementation of VISION 2020
- US $ 223 billion (estimate) will be saved by a successful VISION 2020
- 43 million children from age group 5-15 suffer from low vision. So they suffer when at school and most of them drop out of school. The Millennium Development Goal "Education For All" by 2015 will not be reached, if no immediate action is taken.
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- VISION 2020: The Right to Sight is a joint inititiative between the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, of which CBM is a member, and the World Health Organization, with an international coalition of NGOs, professional bodies and eyecare institutions, which aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
CBM’s assistance to children and adults with low vision
In figures (2005):
- 132 programmes addressed eye care
- 24 programmes focused on low vision in particular
- 36,915 people received/borrowed talking books
- 603 organisations received/borrowed talking books
- 71,698 cassettes were produced
- 852 digital books were produced
- 143,637 cassettes were available
- 1,024 digital books were available
- 2020 Magnifiers were dispensed in 2005, compared to 896 in 2004.
World Sight Day 2006 - Read More
Statement: CBM President Allen Foster: "World Sight Day Appeals To All Of Us"
Interview: Dr. Jill Keeffe, CBM advisor on Low Vision and Co-Chair of the WHO Low Vision Technical Working Group.
Focus on…: CBM’s low vision programmes in Asia
CBM and VISION 2020: Within this world-wide campaign, CBM concentrates on performing cataract operations, the control of eye infections especially trachoma and the prevention of childhood blindness as well as training for eye care personnel.
VISION 2020 - The Right To Sight: The main current priorities for eliminating avoidable blindness are cataract, causing nearly 50% of global blindness, trachoma and river blindness, visual loss in children, causing approximately 10% of blindness worldwide, refractive errors and low vision.
CBM Programmes:
Low Vision Care
Prevention of Blindness
Education of Persons with Visual Impairment
VISION 2020 Website:
VISION 2020 Website
Interview: Dr. Jill Keeffe, CBM advisor on Low Vision and Co-Chair of the WHO Low Vision Technical Working Group.
Focus on…: CBM’s low vision programmes in Asia
CBM and VISION 2020: Within this world-wide campaign, CBM concentrates on performing cataract operations, the control of eye infections especially trachoma and the prevention of childhood blindness as well as training for eye care personnel.
VISION 2020 - The Right To Sight: The main current priorities for eliminating avoidable blindness are cataract, causing nearly 50% of global blindness, trachoma and river blindness, visual loss in children, causing approximately 10% of blindness worldwide, refractive errors and low vision.
CBM Programmes:
Low Vision Care
Prevention of Blindness
Education of Persons with Visual Impairment
VISION 2020 Website:
VISION 2020 Website
