Avoidable Blindness Initiative

In 2007, recognising the expertise in Australia and the importance of eliminating avoidable blindness, the Australian Labor Party announced a $45 million Avoidable Blindness Initiative to tackle blindness and vision impairment in the Asia Pacific region.

The Avoidable Blindness Initiative is based on the first phase of Vision 2020 Australia’s 10 year Plan to Eliminate Avoidable Blindness and Vision Impairment in our Region.

This Regional Plan adopts a multifaceted approach to improving eye health, focusing on areas including:

• the establishment of appropriate national plans
• human resource development to ensure that public health systems have sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled eye health personnel
• interventions to treat cataract and other blinding conditions
• the development of infrastructure and information systems.

The key components of the Avoidable Blindness Initiative are:

• Developing strategic partnerships with a range of NGOs and other organisations working in eye health and vision care, building on and expanding existing work.
• Strengthening existing eye care training institutions and the capacity of eye care workers.
• Piloting the Vision Centre approach as part of the delivery of eye health and vision care needs.
• Assessing eye health and vision care needs to inform future efforts to reduce avoidable blindness.