Research

The global need for eye care is projected to increase dramatically in the coming decades posing a considerable challenge to health systems. Despite concerted action during the past 30 years, significant challenges remain. The World report on vision seeks to stimulate action in countries to address these challenges by proposing integrated people-centred eye care (IPCEC) as an approach to health system strengthening that builds the foundation for service delivery to address population needs. IPCEC refers to eye care services that are managed and delivered to assure a continuum of promotive, preventive, treatment and rehabilitative interventions against the spectrum of eye conditions, coordinated across the different levels and sites of care within and beyond the health sector, and according to their needs throughout the life course. IPCEC will also contribute to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3): “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.

The following areas are discussed:

• Vision, eye conditions and vision impairment

• Global magnitude: eye conditions and vision impairment

• The costs of addressing the coverage gap

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• Addressing eye conditions and vision impairment

• Successes and remaining challenges in eye care

• Advancing UHC through eye care

• Integrated People-Centred Eye Care (IPCEC)

Conclusion and recommendations
Health systems face unprecedented challenges in meeting the current and projected eye care needs of the world’s population. There is no choice but to take on these challenges. The premise of the World Report on Vision is that integrated people-centred eye care has the potential to accelerate action and meet these challenges. For this to become a reality, this report recommends five important actions:

1. Make eye care an integral part of universal health coverage.

2. Implement integrated people-centred eye care in health systems.

3. Promote high-quality implementation and health systems research complementing existing evidence for effective eye care
   interventions.

4. Monitor trends and evaluate progress towards implementing integrated people-centred eye care.

5. Raise awareness and engage and empower people and communities about eye care needs