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Foundation Fighting Blindness Funds 35 New Research Grants in FY2024, Renames Key Program to Honor Former Board Chair - PR Newswire
Fighting blindness with Love Tags WFLA
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Woman With Rare Disease Waiting For Blindness To 'Cure' Hallucinations News18
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Woman With Rare Disease Waiting For Blindness To 'Cure' Hallucinations - News18
Color Blindness Market Is Anticipated To Grow In A Promising openPR
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Towards a truer vision of broader inclusivity The New Indian Express
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Towards a truer vision of broader inclusivity - The New Indian Express
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Main causes of rising cases of vision impairment
Eye conditions that can cause vision impairment and blindness such as cataract, trachoma and refractive error are the main focus of national prevention and other eye care strategies. But eye conditions that do not typically impair vision, including dry eye and conjunctivitis, must not be overlooked as they are among the main reasons for people to seek eye health care services in all countries, the report states.
The combination of a growing and ageing population will significantly increase the total number of people with eye conditions and vision impairment, since prevalence increases with age.
Other main drivers of the most common eye conditions include:
Access to services
Stronger integration of eye care is needed within national health services, including at primary health care level, to ensure that the eye care needs of more people are addressed, including through prevention, early detection, treatment and rehabilitation, the report found.
Dr Alarcos Cieza, who heads WHOs work to address blindness and vision impairment, says: Millions of people have severe vision impairment and are not able to participate in society to their fullest because they cant access rehabilitation services. In a world built on the ability to see, l eye care services, including rehabilitation, must be provided closer to communities for people to achieve their maximum potential.
The report states that all people living with blindness and severe vision impairment who cannot be treated are still able to lead independent lives if they access rehabilitation services. Options include optical magnifiers and reading use Braille, to smartphone wayfinders and orientation and mobility training with white canes.
Read the WHO World report on vision summaryor the full report.
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WHO launches first World report on vision
Although effective interventions and coverage exist to the Region to address two the leading causes of vision impairment - refractive errors and cataracts countries are working to increase eye care. By 2030, all countries in the Region are working to increase effective coverage of refractive errors by 40% and an increase effective coverage of cataract surgery by 30%. Highly cost-effective interventions for these conditions, including spectacles and cataract surgery can substantially improve a persons quality of life.
Vision impairment that cannot be corrected or reversed requires rehabilitation measures, including low vision aids and assistive technologies. For those living with blindness, braille reading, counselling, home skills training, mobility training with white canes, and digital assistive technologies can ensure free, independent, and safe mobility.
To achieve better visual health in the Region, WHO is working closely with Member States and stakeholders, such as the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and the Singapore National Eye Care, to plan and deliver Integrated people-centered eye care (IPEC).
Treatment and care for many eye conditions can be improved by implementing IPEC, and promoting comprehensive treatment and intervention across the life course. Additionally, countries are also working to improve data on better treatment processes in order to improve overall care.
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Eye health, vision impairment and blindness - World Health Organization ...
Onchocerciasis or river blindness is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus transmitted by repeated bites of infected blackflies (Simulium spp.). These blackflies breed along fast-flowing rivers and streams, close to remote villages located near fertile land where people rely on agriculture.
In the human body, the adult worms produce embryonic larvae (microfilariae) that migrate to the skin, eyes and other organs. When a female blackfly bites an infected person during a blood meal, it also ingests microfilariae which develop further in the blackfly and are then transmitted to the next human host during subsequent bites.
Onchocerciasis is an eye and skin disease. Symptoms are caused by the microfilariae, which move around the human body in the subcutaneous tissue and induce intense inflammatory responses when they die. Infected people may show symptoms such as severe itching and various skin changes. Infected people may also develop eye lesions which can lead to visual impairment and permanent blindness. In most cases, nodules under the skin form around the adult worms.
Onchocerciasis occurs mainly in tropical areas. More than 99% of infected people live in 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cte dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania.
Onchocerciasis is also transmitted in the Yanomami area of Brazil and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) as well as in Yemen.
Between 1974 and 2002, disease caused by onchocerciasis was brought under control in West Africa through the work of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP), using mainly the spraying of insecticides against blackfly larvae (vector control) by helicopters and airplanes. This was later supplemented by large-scale distribution of ivermectin since 1989.
The OCP relieved 40 million people from infection, prevented blindness in 600 000 people, and ensured that 18 million children were born free from the threat of the disease and blindness. In addition, 25 million hectares of abandoned arable land were reclaimed for settlement and agricultural production, capable of feeding 17 million people annually.
The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was launched in 1995 with the objective of controlling onchocerciasis in the remaining endemic countries in Africa and closed at the end of 2015 after beginning the transition to onchocerciasis elimination. Its main strategy was the establishment of sustainable community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) and vector control with environmentally-safe methods where appropriate. In APOCs final year, more than 119 million people were treated with ivermectin, and many countries had greatly decreased the morbidity associated with onchocerciasis. More than 800,000 people in Uganda and 120,000 people in Sudan no longer required ivermectin by the time that APOC closed.
In 2016, the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa (ESPEN), was set up to cover the five preventive chemotherapy NTDs with 4 core objectives:
1. Scale up treatments towards the achievement of 100% geographic coverage, 2. Scale down: stopping treatments once transmission has been interrupted or control achieved, 3. Strengthen information systems for evidence-based action, and 4. Improve the effective use of donated medicines through enhance supply chain management. ESPEN is housed in the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
With support from ESPEN, ivermectin treatments continued to scale up, reaching 152.9 million people in 2019, but due to COVID-19 disruptions, the number of people treated declined by 26.9% in 2020.
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas (OEPA) began in 1992 with the objective of eliminating ocular morbidity and interruption of transmission throughout the Americas by 2015 through biannual large-scale treatment with ivermectin. All 13 foci in this region achieved coverage of more than 85% in 2006, and transmission was interrupted in 11 of the 13 foci. Elimination efforts are now focused on the Yanomami people living in Brazil and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), representing a total population at risk of only 35,228 people.
On 5 April 2013, the Director-General of WHO issued an official letter confirming that Colombia has achieved elimination of onchocerciasis. Colombia was the first country in the world to be verified and declared free of onchocerciasis by WHO. This has been followed by Ecuador in September 2014, Mexico in July 2015, and Guatemala in July 2016. More than 500 000 people no longer need ivermectin in the Americas.
WHO recommends treating onchocerciasis with ivermectin at least once yearly for 10 to 15 years. Where O. volvulus co-exists with Loa loa, treatment strategies may need to be adjusted. Loa loa is a parasitic filarial worm that is endemic in Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria , Tchad and South Sudan.Treatment of individuals with high levels of L. loa in the blood can sometimes result in severe adverse events. Affected countries, should follow the Mectizan Expert Committee (MEC)/APOC recommendations for the prevention and management of severe adverse events.
WHO provides administrative, technical and operational research support to three regions where onchocerciasis is transmitted.
The Onchocerciasis Technical Advisory Subgroup (OTS) setup by WHO in 2017is providing guidance and oversight for operational research to identify endemic areas that require MDA. In areas co-endemic for lymphatic filariasis, research efforts are focused on developing strategies for co-evaluation of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, in order to support proper decision making regarding the stopping of MDA.
Diagnosis of onchocerciasis remains a challenge for programmes. The NTD Diagnostics Technical Advisory Group identified development of new diagnostic tools for onchocerciasis as a specific priority. A subgroup was convened to prepare 2 target product profiles (TPPs) for new diagnostics for mapping onchocerciasis and for a confirmatory test for deciding to stop MDA. The TPPs have now been posted on the WHO website.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa, which had an overall supervisory role for OCP from 1975 to 2002 and APOC from 1995 to 2015, currently supervises ESPEN which coordinates control and elimination strategiesin that region.
Through the OEPA partnership, WHO collaborates with endemic countries and international partners in the WHO Region of the Americas. Although there is no official programme to coordinate activities in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, the two countries in the region collaborate on elimination activitiesand receive the support of ESPEN to achieve elimination of river blindness.
With the shift from control to elimination, large areas in Africa require mapping to assess whether transmission is active and treatment required. A sampling strategy name Onchocerciasis elimination mapping has been developed to help countries conduct those assessments and start treatment where needed.
To achieve elimination goals for onchocerciasis, an ambitious research agenda will be needed to support programme progress. Specific research needs include:
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Onchocerciasis - World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO has taken significant steps to address the global challenge of refractive error, recognizing its widespread impact and the availability of cost-effective interventions.In 2021, at the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly, WHO Member States endorsed the first-ever global target for refractive error in: a 40-percentage-point increase in effective coverage of refractive error by 2030. This ambitious goal acknowledges the large unmet need for care and the potential for substantial improvement through accessible interventions like spectacles.
To support Member States in the achievement of the World Health Assembly endorsed 2030 target, WHO launched the SPECS 2030 initiative in May 2024, a comprehensive approach to tackle refractive error globally. This initiative calls for coordinated global action amongst all stakeholders across 5 strategic pillars (Services, Personnel, Education, Cost and Surveillance). By focusing on these key areas, the initiative aims to address the main challenges in refractive error care, including improving access to services, developing a skilled workforce, enhancing public awareness, reducing costs, and strengthening data collection and monitoring systems. Through the SPECS 2030 initiative, WHO is working to catalyse global efforts, promote best practices, and support Member States in achieving the 2030 target, ultimately aiming to reduce vision impairment and improve quality of life for millions affected by uncorrected refractive errors worldwide.
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Eye care, vision impairment and blindness: Refractive errors
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Blindness Prevention and Control - World Health Organization (WHO)
Onchocerciasis is an eye and skin disease. Symptoms are caused by the microfilariae, which move around the human body in the subcutaneous tissue and induce intense inflammatory responses when they die. Infected people may show symptoms such as severe itching and various skin changes. Some infected people develop eye lesions which can lead to visual impairment and permanent blindness. In most cases, nodules under the skin form around the adult worms.
Onchocerciasis occurs mainly in tropical areas. More than 99% of infected people live in 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cte dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania.
Onchocerciasis is also transmitted in Brazil, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Yemen.
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Onchocerciasis (river blindness) - World Health Organization (WHO)
Trachoma World Health Organization (WHO)
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Trachoma - World Health Organization (WHO)
Blindness is not a curse to be broken America: The Jesuit Review
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Blindness is not a curse to be broken - America: The Jesuit Review
Alfred University gives away two pairs of EnChroma glasses for color blindness www.alfred.edu
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Alfred University gives away two pairs of EnChroma glasses for color blindness - http://www.alfred.edu
All the Plants We Cannot See The Revelator
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All the Plants We Cannot See - The Revelator
ASI Power Summit 2024: How Blindness Helped Michael Hingson Survive the 9/11 Attacks ASI
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ASI Power Summit 2024: How Blindness Helped Michael Hingson Survive the 9/11 Attacks - ASI
New Study Links Ozempic to BlindnessBut They Can Actually Protect Your Eyes First For Women
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New Study Links Ozempic to BlindnessBut They Can Actually Protect Your Eyes - First For Women
People with blindness and their allies rally outside Uber and Lyft over ride denials The Mercury News
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People with blindness and their allies rally outside Uber and Lyft over ride denials - The Mercury News
Conservatives Use Trump Assassination Attempt to Target Women in Anti-Diversity War The American Prospect
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Conservatives Use Trump Assassination Attempt to Target Women in Anti-Diversity War - The American Prospect
Google AI to help detect preventable blindness in India and Thailand Techloy
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Google AI to help detect preventable blindness in India and Thailand - Techloy