Targets aim to ensure a healthier outlook for sight loss

Eye health targets that addressed the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment have been set by ministers of health at the 74^th World Health Assembly.

All countries committed to a 40% and a 30% increase in effective coverage of refractive error and cataract surgery, respectively, by 2030.

Peter Holland, chief executive of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), said: ‘This is a significant milestone for eye health. Over 1.1 billion people are needlessly living with poor vision because they do not have access to basic eye care services like a pair of glasses or a cataract surgery. Without action, this number will rise to 1.8 billion and half the population will have myopia by 2050. The adoption, and achievement of the targets, will help ensure this does not happen.’