Why the World Needs CSFII

Goal 2 - Combating Emerging Threats to Sight

Overview

In 1990 when SightFirst was launched, the leading global vision health challenges were cataract, trachoma and river blindness. While these conditions are still serious problems requiring continued action, they are being challenged successfully and it is now possible to realistically forecast their actual elimination as a public health problem in some parts of the world.

However, new threats to sight have risen to take their place, including diabetic eye disease and glaucoma, childhood blindness, uncorrected refractive error in children and insufficient low vision services and rehabilitation.

Low Vision Services

In addition to the 37 million blind people in the world, there are 124 million who suffer with low vision. Only five percent receive low-vision assistance. Those who do not, face many of the same obstacles and the same situation in life as those who are fully blind.

The SightFirst Action Plan:

• SightFirst will train hundreds of low-vision specialists in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America where low vision services and personnel are severely lacking.
• SightFirst will create 30 Lions Low Vision Clinics to provide care for 10- to 20-million people, and create 50 to 100 Low Vision Units at Lions-affiliated eye centers to provide access to care for millions. It will create 2-3 Lions Low Vision Regional Resource Centers to provide low cost aids and training to these clinics.

Childhood Blindness It is a stark fact that half a million children go blind each year. Fortunately, half of all cases of childhood blindness can be prevented or successfully treated. Lions expect to reduce the number of children who go blind from preventable or treatable conditions by 50 to 75 percent by creating sustainable services that will provide comprehensive eye care to millions of children.

In 2002, Lions and SightFirst created 30 Lions Centers of Excellence in Pediatric Eye Care in 30 countries from Latin America to Southeast Asia. Thirty, however, are not enough. There is a need for at least 50 such centers worldwide.

The SightFirst Action Plan:

• SightFirst will establish 20 more Lions Centers of Excellence in Pediatric Eye Care in 20 underserved areas and expand the activities of the existing 30 centers, creating satellite clinics as needed.
• It will provide specialized training in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity, building on successful training courses that have been organized in Latin America and Eastern Europe.
• It will strengthen primary eye care services in the world's least developed countries, especially Africa, where children still go needlessly blind from infections and untreated eye injuries.

Uncorrected Refractive Error - Especially in Children

One of the leading causes of legally defined blindness in many areas of the world is refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). At least 100 million have severe vision impairment and six million are considered legally blind. World Health Organization (WHO) studies show that one-half of all children who need eyeglasses do not have them. This results in a serious disability which may make it impossible for children to learn and prepare for fulfilling lives.

The SightFirst Action Plan:

• Expand successful screening and eyeglass distribution programs to reach tens of millions worldwide, and to create new programs where the need is greatest.
• Create 75 to 100 self-sustaining eyeglass distribution clinics, and low cost optical laboratories at existing Lions and Lions affiliated eye centers in underserved regions of the world.
• Train several thousand vision technicians and refractionists over the next 15 years.
• Continue developing partnerships with optical and eye care companies to bring down the cost of eyeglasses for needy people

Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and Other Chronic Conditions

The worldwide incidence of diabetes is exploding. It could affect as many as 300 million people by 2030 and cause blindness in as many as 70 percent. Technology is available for early diagnosis and treatment, but due to a lack of services in some regions, and lack of awareness in others, the number of those blind from diabetes could double in just 10 years. Glaucoma is on the rise and is becoming a more significant as a cause of avoidable blindness also due to lack of treatment and lack of public awareness.

Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are "stealth" diseases. One-third of all diabetics and one-half of all people with glaucoma are not aware that they have these conditions.

The SightFirst Action Plan:

• Create and expand successful Lions screening and treatment programs wherever the need is greatest .
• Organize training programs for eye-care workers in developing countries and help eye hospitals to start or expand large-scale screening and treatment programs.
• Increase the outreach services of the 550 SightFirst-supported eye hospitals and continue the expansion of the SightFirst Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP) in developed countries to educate the public and to support preventive screenings.

Goal 1 | Goal 2 | Goal 3