A newly formed European Coalition for Vision has met with the EU officials to reiterate its call for European decision-makers to include eye health and vision in the political agenda.
The coalition, launched by members including the Optical Confederation in February (News 07.02.14), staged a meeting with the Directorate General for Health and Consumers and Eurostat at the beginning of the month.
Bob Chappell, past president of the European Council of Optometry and Optics, said: ‘Europe is facing an invisible epidemic, with an estimated 20.4 million people in the whole of Europe suffering from serious vision impairment – including 2.3 million who are blind. Without adequate action, these worrying numbers will only increase with the rise of diabetes and the ageing population. Shamefully, two-thirds of these cases could actually be prevented or treated and are not.’
The meeting also drew attention to the absence of official data on eye health and vision.
‘Data collection is crucial to better appreciate the magnitude of the issue we face, as well as to develop more efficient solutions to it,’ added Jean-Felix Biosse Duplan, president of Vision Impact Institute.