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VISION 2020: THE RIGHT TO SIGHT - GLOBAL DECLARATION OF SUPPORT
| The Issue | There are 45 million blind people and a further 135 million people with serious visual impairment in the world today. If urgent action is not taken these numbers will double over the next 20 years. This is unacceptable both from a humanitarian and socio-economic point of view. Cost-effective interventions are available for all major blinding conditions. |
| The Problem | The resources available are insufficient to tackle the problem, particularly in developing countries where nine out of 10 of the world's blind live. There is a lack of trained eye personnel, medicines, ophthalmic equipment, eye care facilities and patient referral systems. |
| The Solution | VISION 2020 – an international partnership between those working for blindness prevention has been formed. This is a new initiative to raise awareness, mobilise resources and develop national blindness prevention programmes with governments to prevent an additional 100 million people from being blind by 2020. |
Launched in Geneva on 18 th February 1999, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight is an unprecedented global partnership aiming to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020. The partnership involves the World Health Organization, the Task Force of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (currently consisting of: Al Noor Foundation, Christoffel-Blindenmission, Helen Keller Worldwide, IMPACT-EMRO, International Centre for Eyecare Education, International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies, International Trachoma Initiative, Operation Eyesight Universal, ORBIS International, Sight Savers International and The Fred Hollows Foundation), international non-governmental organisations, philanthropic institutions and other bodies and individuals working with national governments.
“VISION 2020 aims to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness by 2020, in order to give all people of the world, the RIGHT TO SIGHT.”
In recognition of the fact that 100 million people will needlessly go blind by the year 2020 unless joint global action is taken now, please endorse this initiative by signing below.
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