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GMC Workshop Webinar: How can the ARVO community contribute to improving Vision and Eye Health outcomes in response to the call from WHO?

Audience: Clinicians, Ophthalmologists, vision researchers.

In a world built on the ability to see, vision, the most dominant of our senses, is vital at every turn of our lives. Globally, 2.3 billion people are known to have a visual impairment, and at least 1 billion of these have a visual impairment (VI) that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) World Report on Vision (WRV) (2019). In the report uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts were identified as two significant causes of VI that can be addressed. In fact, in 2021 a World Health Assembly resolution that called for a 30% increase in cataract surgeries and 40% improvement in addressing VI by 2030 was approved. If we fail to address the increasing prevalence of myopia, it is expected that 50% of global population will be living with myopia by 2050 resulting in a considerable challenges for countries health systems and their sustainable development. The WRV highlighted the enormous magnitude of the visual impairment and blindness. The report recommended that eye health and vision care be integrated into universal health models. With eye care being core to delivering health care, the world could see improved access and earlier care. The WRV also emphasized the importance of focusing on care that should be integrated patient-centred. Additionally, the United Nations (UN) in 2021 passed a resolution unanimously, ie signed by all 193 member countries, that indicated that highlighted that Vision is important, and something(s) need to be done since visual impairment and blindness affect multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discussions will include presenting models that are already showing benefits, addressing gaps in surveillance, and discussion on how to measure the needed response to

Jun 22, 2022 01:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)