Eye health prevention has officially become an integral part of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda
Thanks to the advocacy work of IAPB Members through the UN Friends of Vision group, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the first resolution for eye health prevention, entitled, “Vision for Everyone – Accelerating Action to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”
Announced on July 23, the resolution commits the international community to provide eye care by 2030 for 1.1 billion people living with preventable sight loss, whose condition could deteriorate, even resulting in blindness, in the absence of examinations and treatment by eye health specialists.
The resolution is the first international agreement designed to tackle preventable sight loss to be adopted by the United Nations and officially introduces eye health as an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The 193 UN Member States have approved the resolution unanimously.
Caroline Casey, President of IAPB, has commented on the groundbreaking event, “The Member States of the United Nations have come together to agree on a global plan for change, ensuring full access to eye care services for their populations, and, to support global efforts, to make eye care part of their nation’s journey to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Those of us working in eye health will work with every sinew in our bodies to ensure that this is delivered.”
