AN INFRASTRUCTURE MODEL FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VISION 2020: THE RIGHT TO SIGHT
Abstract
Blindness is a serious public health problem globally. Eighty percent of this problem is avoidable, i.e., either preventable or treatable; 90% of the problem manifests in the developing countries of the world. Over the past 30 years the magnitude of blindness has steadily increased, with southeast Asia carrying the greatest burden (disproportionate to the size of its population), followed by the western Pacific region, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Latin American regions. In light of these observations, all the major groups and organisations involved in the prevention of blindness around the world realized that a major shift was warranted in the strategies to control blindness. This led to the development of the Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness, given the name “VISION 2020: the Right to Sight.
Aravind Eye Care System