Programs: Advocacy for Preservation and Restoration of Vision

On this page:

• Advocacy for Preservation and Restoration of Vision
  
  
• Worldwide Visual Impairment
  
  
• Causes of Worldwide Blindness
  
  
• World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD)
  
  
• ICOFoundation Support for Advocacy
  
  
• More on Programs Supported by the ICOFoundation

Advocacy for Preservation and Restoration of Vision

In 2007, advocacy for preservation and restoration of vision advanced through actions by the World Health Assembly, increased public awareness of blindness prevention, and commencement of ICO World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development
(WORLD).

World Health Assembly

Culminating the initiative advanced by HRH Prince AbdulAziz Ahmad AbdulAziz AlSaud (Saudi Arabia), Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi (Saudi Arabia) and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness, the World Health Assembly adopted a 2007 resolution to increase the priority given to prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment by the World Health Organization. Implementation of this resolution brings greater attention to programs of eye and vision care worldwide.

Worldwide Visual Impairment

Advocacy by the ICO, led by Dr. Hugh R. Taylor (Australia) complements the World Health Assembly resolution by drawing pubic awareness to the extent and causes of visual impairment. Worldwide, 161 million people are severely visually impaired due to eye disease and 37 million of these are blind. Added to this are 153 million people with severe visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive error. Causes of disease-related blindness as a percentage of total blindness vary by region and country. However, cataract continues to be the leading cause of worldwide blindness.

Causes of Worldwide Blindness

Causes	Percent of total blindness
Cataract	47.8
Glaucoma	12.3
Age-related Macular Degeneration	8.7
Corneal Opacities	5.1
Diabetic Retinopathy	4.8
Childhood Blindness	3.9
Trachoma	3.9
Onchocerciasis	0.8
Other causes	13.0

World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD)

Initiated in 2007, ICO World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD) works to build present and future ophthalmologic leaders by encouraging community and regional programs to enhance ophthalmology training, increase public support for eye care and encourage national and regional ophthalmologic societies. ICO WORLD commenced in 2007 under leadership of the ICO President, Dr. Bruce E. Spivey (United States), and William Felch, ICO Executive Director (United States). Three WORLD meetings, supported in part by the ICOFoundation were convened.

In February 2007, 36 ophthalmology leaders from 16 countries met at Lahore, Pakistan, in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology In March 2007, 25 present and future ophthalmology leaders from 11 Sub-Saharan African countries met in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology and formed the Leadership Group for Sub-Saharan Africa.

In October 2007, the second meeting of the Leadership Group for Sub-Saharan Africa took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in conjunction with the Ophthalmological Society of East Africa. The agenda included working group reports on Enhancing Residency Education, Subspecialty Development, Advocacy for Support of Eye Care, Equipment for Training and Practice, and Society and Professional Development.

World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD) at Dubai, U.A.E., in March 2007. Twenty-five ophthalmologists from 11 Sub-Saharan African countries formed the “Leadership Group for Sub-Saharan Africa."

ICOFoundation Support for Advocacy

Advocacy promoted and encouraged by the ICOFoundation includes support for participation of ophthalmology representatives in public forums, scientific meetings, governmental conferences and related interactions that promote quality eye care for all people.

More on ICOFoundation programs:

• Ophthalmic Education and Training
  
  
• Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment
  
  
• Ophthalmic Fellowship Training
  
  
• Eye and Vision Care Guidelines
  
  
• Research in Ophthalmology and Vision

Next: Research in Ophthalmology and Vision

Also see:

• Contribute to the ICOFoundation
  
  
• Programs Supported by the ICOFoundation