Bill Harvey: Key year comes into view

I realised this week just how close we are to the year 2020, a year of particular significance for those involved in eye health.

VISION 2020 was a global initiative that aimed ‘to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.’ It was launched in 1999 by the World Health Organization in partnership with more than 20 international non-governmental organisations involved in ‘eye care and the prevention and management of blindness.’ This group was called the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

It was announced last week that the General Assembly of the IACB will meet in Singapore this coming April in part to ‘mark the end of the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight period.’ As stated in their announcement, this meeting will ‘present a great opportunity to take stock, celebrate successes and make plans for the future.’