IAPB ‘Countdown to 2020’ event announced to reaffirm commitment to eliminate avoidable blindness

July 5, 2010 - PRLog -- London, UK, 5 July 2010: On 11 October 2010 the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is holding an event ‘Countdown to 2020’ at the Globe of Science and Innovation in Geneva, Switzerland. With the support of members and sponsors such as Standard Chartered Bank, this event will enable key stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to VISION 2020: The Right to Sight during the next ten years, as well as celebrate the partnerships which have made the past 10 years’ accomplishments possible.

The VISION 2020 global initiative, launched jointly by IAPB and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999, now includes nearly every international eye care NGO, as well as global professional bodies for ophthalmology and optometry and the World Blind Union.

Mobilised by the achievable ambition to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision impairment worldwide, policy makers and thought leaders at national, regional and global levels attending the event will be addressed via video link by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. In addition, the new State of the World’s Sight report, including current and definitive data from WHO, and due for release on World Sight Day, 14 October 2010, will be previewed to the audience.

It is predicted that ‘Countdown to 2020’ will provide a powerful platform to advocate for actions required in the next ten years, including:

-  Governments must mobilise political will and resources to support VISION 2020 in their own countries and in developing countries around the world.

-  Development agencies must move to support this highly effective and positive agenda, taking advantage of the united strength of private and non-profit sector organisations.

-  The professions must play their part in working together to bring sustainable, integrated eye care services to all.

Peter Ackland, Chief Executive Office for IAPB, comments: “The simple fact is that avoidable blindness can be eliminated, and that is at the heart of VISION 2020’s mission. Imagine if you were losing your sight from a curable condition, but you could not find the help you needed. Indeed, imagine if your mother became blind because she needed a cataract operation costing as little as $25. Incredibly, up to 20 million people are estimated to be blind from cataracts worldwide. The joint initiative of IAPB and WHO has made huge progress since its launch in 2000, and this advocacy event is a stake in the ground to deliver on our collective commitments by 2020.”

For further information, please contact: Abigail Harrison aharrison@thebluedoor.com or Rebecca Pain rpain@thebluedoor.com at thebluedoor. +44 (0) 1252 899 969 / +44 (0) 7749 048 480

Logos are available for Countdown to 2020 and World Sight Day, on request

Please go to the www.iapb.org for further background information.

Notes to editors:

General facts:

- 45 million people worldwide are blind

- Over 80% of all blindness is avoidable

- 90% of blind people live in low-income countries

- 269 million people live with low vision

- Blindness and vision impairment costs the poorest societies a vital economic resource

- There is something we can do – VISION 2020 is making a difference: already millions of people have been saved from a life without sight

- VISION 2020 is the joint initiative of WHO and IAPB

IAPB:

-  The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) promotes the global initiative VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, which aims to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020.

- IAPB was established in 1975 as a coordinating, umbrella organisation to lead international efforts in prevention of blindness and vision impairment activities.

- IAPB’s first major achievement was to promote the establishment of a WHO programme for the Prevention of Blindness, which is embodied in the VISION 2020 joint initiative.

- IAPB now has more than 110 members, including international development NGOs, disability organisations, global professional peak bodies, academic institutions and corporations.

- IAPB’s vision is a world in which no one is needlessly blind or visually impaired and where those with unavoidable vision loss can achieve their full potential.

- IAPB’s mission is to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness and vision impairment by bringing together governments and non-governmental agencies to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of sustainable national eye care programmes based on the three core strategies of disease control, human resource development and infrastructure development, incorporating the principles of primary health care.

- IAPB works to support the formation of national prevention of blindness committees and programmes, led by governments with input from WHO, local and international non-governmental organisations. These now exist in over 100 countries.

World Sight Day:

- World Sight Day (WSD) is an international day of awareness held annually on the second Thursday of October, to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.

- Included on the official WHO calendar, WSD is co-ordinated by IAPB under the VISION 2020 global initiative.

- The theme, focal event and certain core materials are generated by IAPB. All other events are organised independently by IAPB members and supporting organisations.

- WSD10 is set to be marked by up to 300 events in over 50 countries around the world. The focal event – ‘Countdown to 2020’ – is to be held on the 11th October in Geneva.