Preservation and Restoration of Vision:

ICO Society Initiatives

On this page:

• Ophthalmologists urged to participate in VISION 2020
  
  
• Australian model for implementation
  
  
• Other ICO society preservation of vision programs?

Ophthalmologists urged to participate in VISION 2020

Ophthalmologists and ophthalmologic societies can play a leading role in the Global Initiative to Eliminate Avoidable Blindess by the Year 2020, VISION 2020 - The Right to Sight and make a critical contribution to preservation of vision around the world.

That was one message from representatives of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the World Health Organization at various symposia at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Sydney in 2002.

Australian model for implementation

One example cited was the involvement of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and Centre for Eye Research Australia in the formation of VISION 2020 Australia, which was launched in 2000 and has 45 partners involved in:

• Raising public awareness of the importance of vision as a human right,
  
  
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have 10 times the amount of blindness of other Australians,
  
  
• Increasing awareness of eye care.Or contact ophthalmologic societies or Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGOs) who are active in your country.

Other ICO society preservation of vision programs?

The ICO will be reporting on member organizations' programs and initiatives to preserve vision on this page.

Please let us know about other programs that we may want to highlight.

Next: Other Initiatives

Also see: International ophthalmology's Vision for the Future