![]()
A countdown event to Vision 2020 will be launched this October as eyecare non-governmental organisations vie to improve global eye health.
On October 11th, the Countdown to 2020 event will be launched by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in Geneva, Switzerland.
It is hoped that the initiative, which will get into full swing at the city's Globe of Science and Innovation, will enable key stakeholders in global eye health to reaffirm their commitment to the Vision 2020 programme.
As well as setting targets for the next ten years, the event will be used to celebrate the achievements of the past decade.
Peter Ackland, Chief Executive Office for IAPB, said: "The simple fact is that avoidable blindness can be eliminated, and that is at the heart of Vision 2020's mission."
"Imagine if you were losing your sight from a curable condition, but you could not find the help you needed. Indeed, imagine if your mother became blind because she needed a cataract operation costing as little as $25 (£16.50)," he added.
The event will take place just before World Sight Day, which will take place on October 14th and coincide with the World Health Organization's (WHO) State of the World's Sight report.
"Incredibly, up to 20 million people are estimated to be blind from cataracts worldwide. The joint initiative of IAPB and WHO has made huge progress since its launch in 2000, and this advocacy event is a stake in the ground to deliver on our collective commitments by 2020," Ackland added.
It is believed that 45 million people around the world are blind and 80 per cent of all blindness is entirely avoidable.
What is more, 90 per cent of those who are blind live in low income, developing nations and a further 269 million people are living with some form of vision impairment.
Written by Julia Paris
Eye Laser Surgery: How do i-GO over night contact lenses compare to eye laser surgery?
