The Next Decade for Eye Health
Our guest blogger is Peter Holland, CEO of the International Agency for The Prevention of Blindness and Trustee for the Vision Catalyst Fund.
2020 challenged us personally and professionally in ways previously unimaginable. Yet despite a tricky start to 2021 and the international battle against COVID-19 ongoing, I believe we can look forward to a year of hope and opportunity for eye health.
We are starting the year strongly with an exciting United Nations Friends of Vision event. The 24th of February will see the Friends of Vision gather for the official launch of the Lancet Global Commission on Eye Health and public launch of IAPB’s Vision Atlas. This is an important moment for the sector which IAPB and The Lancet Global Health are proud to co-host.
Our advocacy at the United Nations with the Friends of Vision group will not stop there with our co-chairs from Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh and Ireland leading the group towards the first-ever UN General Assembly Resolution on vision. If agreed, this will be a landmark resolution, placing the issue of eye health firmly at the centre of Sustainable Development Goals.
We will continue to boost vision up the global agenda with exciting plans for World Sight Day 2021, working on moments to bring the sector together to collectively boost our communications globally and importantly engaging the public in our work.
Finally, 2021 will bring a new initiative for the sector. With the conclusion of VISION 2020 last year, we are developing a brand-new successor for the next decade. We have already been in consultation with our members to help form an initiative that will respond to the current and emerging challenges we face. Building on the landmark successes of the past two decades, we will produce an ambitious plan to drive collective action and encourage governments and the public to get on board too.
Looking ahead to 2021, everyone at IAPB and I are hopeful and excited. There is much to look forward to and work towards, both in our individual organisations and collectively as a sector. I have no doubt that the sector will continue to show the tenacity and energy we displayed in 2020 to meet the challenges we face this year and in the next decade.