Regional and National Policy Dialogues

The World Report of Vision UN launch was hosted by the UN Friends of Vision and the World Health Organisation (WHO), with support from IAPB, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Sightsavers, Clearly and the Vision Council of America. To raise attention and to continue the World Report on Vision launch celebrations, the group organised an Eye Health Exhibition and Vision Screening in the UN Secretariat Lobby.

The Parliamentary Friends Group for Eye Health and Vision Care held a dinner at the Parliament House Canberra, hosted by Vision 2020 Australia and attended by two dozen politicians bridging the political divide. Guest of Honour was IAPB CEO Peter Holland, who launched the World Report in the presence of IAPB’s Regional Chair Ms Amanda Davis and Global Chair, the former Senator Bob McMullan.

South Korea held its launch of the World Report on Vision on December 6th, 2019, the event was hosted by Dr Andreas Mueller of the World Health. Speakers at the event addressed the disparity in eye health coverage amongst minorities and women and the importance of renewed advocacy efforts to raise profile in Korea.

In the South East Asia region, Bangladesh was the first to hold a launch. The event took place on 19 and 20 January 2020. The Honourable Minster of Health, Zahid Maleque, officially launched the report and was attended by 70 people.

The first PAAO regional World Report of Vision launch was held in Queretaro, Mexico at the Official Program II International Course in the Care of Vision Health. The launch brought many global eye health specialists including Serge Resnikoff, M.D and Dr Francisco Martínez Castro. The event was a great success and garnered widespread attention.

Papua New Guinea held the first launch of the World Report on Vision of the Pacific Islands. The launch was hosted by the Prevention of Blindness Committee at the University of Papua New Guinea, Medical School and was attended by over 100 attendees, garnering significant press and social media attention.

This virtual event included introduction by Peter Holland followed by presentation of the WRV with Canadian context and recommendation to the government from president of COS Dr. Yvonne Buys. A live QA of 15min followed. Feedback from attendees has been very positive with motivation to continue with current momentum of advocacy for eye health in Canada by the COS and CAPHGO (Canadian Association for Public Health and Global Ophthalmology).

Prevent Blindness held the 9th annual Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health National Summit as a virtual event on July 15, 2020.  The 2020 Summit included a variety of presentations and discussions related to the theme, “An Eye to the Future.” This year for the first time due to the current COVID-19 health crisis, the Focus on Eye Health National Summit was held as a completely virtual event bringing together our audience of diverse stakeholders to discuss vision as well as significant public health issues such as equity, access, and prevention.

Given that China accounts for 20% of the world’s blind people it was particularly appropriate that Dr Alarcos Cieza, WHO Coordinator, Blindness and Deafness Prevention, Disability and Rehabilitation was on hand to introduce the report. The report shows blindness especially impacts on ethnic minorities, older people, women and low and middle income families – all of which have been priority areas for China’s recently completed 13^th Five Year Plan.

The World Report on Vision highlights the multi-faceted approach necessary for tackling global vision impairment. Amanda Davis, IAPB Regional Chair Western Pacific, outlined this approach in her presentation and also touched on the successes achieved in China during the Vision 2020 period of the past two decades. For example China successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem and, in recent years, significantly lifted the profile of Myopia. And as we initiate progress towards 2030, it worth noting that the Chinese Government was one of the very first to sign onto Vision 2020 back in 1999 – a legacy worth celebrating on this launch day!