WHO launches new initiative to tackle the main cause of vision impairment
♫ Thursday, December 19th, 2024The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a new initiative, SPECS 2030, to assist countries in achieving the global eye care target of a 40% increase in the proportion of people with access to appropriate spectacles.
The launch will be held during a 2-day meeting in Geneva, Switzerland with over 100 participants including Member States representatives, UN agencies, academia and nongovernmental organizations.
"The SPECS 2030 initiative marks a significant milestone in combatting uncorrected refractive error, commonly known as short-sightedness or long-sightedness, which is the leading cause of vision impairment in both children and adults, said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director for Noncommunicable Diseases, Rehabilitation and Disability. Globally, it is estimated that only around one third of people with vision impairment due to refractive error have access to a pair of spectacles that allows them to see well.
The SPECS 2030 initiative calls for coordinated action across 5 key pillars:
The initiative will focus on 4 key strategies of engagement to support countries and stakeholders.
We are committed to strengthen engagement with all key stakeholders and unite towards coordinated action and advocacy, said Dr Mikkelsen. To achieve this, the WHOGlobal SPECS Network has been established and the inaugural 32 member organizations are participating in the meeting.
Visit link:
WHO launches new initiative to tackle the main cause of vision impairment