Preventing blindness and visual impairment in Europe: What do we have to do?

János Németh; Gábor Tóth; Serge Resnikoff; Jan Tjeerd de Faber

doi:10.1177/1120672118819397

Preventing blindness and visual impairment in Europe: What do we have to do?

Eur J Ophthalmol. 2019 Mar;29(2):129-132. doi: 10.1177/1120672118819397. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Authors

János Németh^{1

2}, Gábor Tóth^{1

2}, Serge Resnikoff^{3

4}, Jan Tjeerd de Faber⁵

Affiliations

¹ 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
² 2 The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, London, UK.
³ 3 Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ 4 SOVS, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ 5 The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

PMID: 30572715
DOI: 10.1177/1120672118819397

Abstract

Severe visual impairment and blindness are significant public health problems worldwide. Four-fifths of cases of blindness can be prevented or cured. The World Health organisation's 'Universal Eye Health: A Global Action Plan 2014-2019' and the European Society of Ophthalmology's Pilot Committee on Public Eye Health are aiming to decrease the prevalence of blindness in Europe and around the world. Starting discussions addressing possible actions and advocacies to improve current circumstances in public eye health is a common task of ophthalmologists and public health specialists in Europe.

Keywords: Blindness; prevention; public eye health; vision; visual impairment.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Blindness / epidemiology
Blindness / prevention & control*
Europe / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Ophthalmology / methods*
Prevalence
Societies, Medical*
Vision, Low / epidemiology
Vision, Low / prevention & control*