
Inclusive Eye Health
Through this Initiative, CBM builds on its long-standing expertise in reducing avoidable visual impairment and blindness. We make sure that people who are permanently affected can access support and opportunities.
There are still large numbers of people in the world’s poorest places who are blind and visually impaired and cannot access the support they need. Many persons with disabilities and other marginalised persons are not reaching eye health services and some services do not enable meaningful lifelong change.
We have developed the initiative plan within the framework provided by the CBM Federation Strategy 2021, contributing to CBM’s strategic goal of bringing transformative change to the lives and communities of persons with disabilities living in poverty, and the three associated target outcomes:
- Avoidable impairment reduced
- Persons with disabilities are empowered to exercise their rights
- Inclusive, resilient and equitable communities
The Federation Strategy emphasises the importance of Disability Inclusive Development as both a set of values and a practical approach for all of CBM’s work: ‘We see DID as a key element of where we want to drive our activities and impact. As such, it will ensure that all other initiatives are incorporating the thinking, criteria and approaches of DID into their initiatives.’ Accordingly, we have built the Inclusive Eye Health initiative plan on the principles of inclusion, comprehensiveness and integration (see box below), underpinned by sound technical leadership and the creation of a strong evidence base.
This five-year plan for CBM’s Inclusive Eye Health (IEH) Initiative sets out the future direction of all programme work within IEH and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), identifying strategic priorities and objectives for the initiative and defining key activities and approaches. The IEH Initiative plan includes NTDs because most of CBM’s NTD work is related to NTDs that affect the eyes (Trachoma and Onchocerciasis).
This initiative aligns with the frameworks of the WHO Vision 2020 Strategy and the Global Action Plan 2014-2019 ‘Towards Universal Eye Health’ , the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, Agenda 2030 with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the WHO Roadmap for NTDs.
Through this initiative, CBM will build on its success and expertise in reducing avoidable visual impairment and blindness and ensuring people permanently affected can access support and opportunities.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
CBM supports Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) programmes in areas where these diseases are identified as a public health problem. By building on our long experience and existing strengths we aim to achieve sustainable and effective community-owned NTD programmes that are comprehensive, integrated and inclusive.
Read moreWorking definitions in the Inclusive Eye Health Initiative
Inclusion
Ensuring eye health programmes are accessible and welcoming to all members of the community, i.e. people from all disability groups, including vision impairment, and other marginalised and socially excluded people; and proactively ensuring that people with long term vision impairment access their right to wider opportunities in rehabilitation, health, education, livelihoods and social inclusion.
Comprehensiveness
Includes all of these elements
- Promotion of healthy eyes and behaviour through awareness raising at all levels
- Prevention of eye diseases
- Curative interventions (medical, surgical, optical)
- Rehabilitation - access to rehabilitation services (Community Based Inclusive Development - CBID, low vision, inclusive education, livelihoods and social inclusion)
Integration
Means that the work done is fully part of national health systems and policies.