PA/03/11 28 January 2011
Australia welcomes launch of Indian Optometry Federation Vision 2020: The Right to Sight
The Australian Government is proud to support the launch of the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF), an initiative committed to the education of more optometrists and development of quality vision care to stem the rising tide of preventable vision problems.
The Federation has adopted a far reaching plan to enable Indian optometry to help achieve Vision 2020:The Right to Sight, for all Indians.
Applauding the initiative, the Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr Peter Varghese AO said, “In 2008, the Australian government announced the Avoidable Blindness Initiative in the Asia Pacific region, an important step towards developing greater access to eye care in areas where there has been little or no access.”
“Australian agencies have a long history of tackling vision impairment and blindness and building the capacity of health systems,” said Mr Varghese.
“I applaud the efforts of all associated with this important initiative and the members of the Australia-India Council who continue to invest time and energy and share industry knowledge for the development of health care, education and training between our two countries,” added Mr Varghese.
Speaking at the launch of IOF at the 35th All-India Optometry Conference in Jaipur, the former Australian High Commissioner to India and current Australia-India Council Chair, Mr John McCarthy, supported the initiative. “Too often we see a devastating and, sadly, unnecessary toll on communities and individuals alike which could have been prevented with access to care. Vision is one of those basic health care requirements that in Australia, as in India and the Asia-Pacific region, we must continue to work together to address,” added Mr McCarthy.
Professor Brien Holden, Chief Mentor of the Steering Committee of the IOF spoke about the Federation at the launch, “The Indian Optometry Federation is a very important step for the future of eye care in India,” he said. “It has been wonderful to see optometry groups embrace a unified approach to vision care for India. The IOF is now well positioned to fill a vital health care need in India, one that, if not addressed, will remain a major economic burden on countries and communities for decades to come.”
The further development of optometric education, research and vision care services in India will have a direct and positive impact upon the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in India, and will help the country to achieve its blindness prevention goals for 2020 and beyond. Only through a united effort by all forms of optometry in India can these ambitious goals be achieved.
Professor Brien Holden is a member of the Australia-India Council (AIC). AIC was established by the Australian Government in May 1992 to broaden and deepen Australia-India relations through contacts and exchanges in a range of fields which promote mutual awareness and understanding. AIC programs and activities are a form of “second-track diplomacy” conducted in parallel to, and in support of, government-government- contacts and exchanges. Recent AIC-funded projects have promoted a wider recognition in India of Australian attributes and expertise, including in important fields such as public health, volunteering, education, heritage and conservation services, film, literature and arts management.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
India has a massive vision care need; at least 456 million Indians need vision correction and over 130 million do not have it. Significant vision impairment impedes children learning, people working and enjoying their lives and costs society a tremendous amount in lost productivity, estimated globally at US$269 billion dollars each year.
With 670 million in the world today, without access to the eye care they need, vision problems are one of the sleeping giant health care issues of the decade. The disability caused by vision loss pushes people into poverty. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), for those affected, lost opportunities in education and employment are both a cause and consequence of poverty.
IOF has been the work of senior optometrists, who have been at the forefront of optometry in India, and local associations – namely the Indian Optometric Association, National Ophthalmic Association and 12 other organisations and associations with the aid and support of the Australia-India Council, the International Centre for Eyecare Education and Optometry Giving Sight.
Globally, optometry has the primary public health responsibility for the most common of vision problems categorised as refractive errors. Myopia (or short sightedness), hyperopia (long sightedness) and presbyopia (the need for reading glasses as we age), are the most common problems affecting more than half of the world’s population.
• In India, 26 million people are blind or vision impaired due to eye disease
• 133 million people, including 11 million children, are blind or vision impaired simply from lack of an eye examination and an appropriate pair of glasses (uncorrected refractive error)
• 456 million Indians, of the 1.02 billion population, need access to eye care
Achieving recognition for, and regulation of, the profession of optometry in India is still a long term process which will require all primary eye care providers to work side-by-side.
The process of unifying optometry in India was initiated earlier this year.
Key leaders from the Indian and global profession of optometry gathered in New Delhi from 11 to 13 April 2010 to discuss the development of optometry and blindness prevention in India. This meeting was made possible through a grant from the Australia India Council (AIC), as well as support from the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) and the Brien Holden Vision Institute.
The attendees drafted and endorsed the ‘Delhi Declaration on Optometry and Blindness Prevention in India’ thereby setting the agenda for vision care and blindness prevention by an organised and committed critical mass of optometrists.
On 14 July 2010 representatives of optometric and ophthalmic associations in India gathered and formed the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF), which will support and represent the views of the profession of optometry in India.
Collaborating associations also endorsed the Delhi Declaration. The formation of the IOF was a milestone in the development of optometry in India.
Over the next decade or so, IOF key activities will include the further development and standardisation of optometric education, as well as lobbying for national accreditation, regulation and academic development of optometry in India.
ICEE has committed to supporting the IOF for the next two years, through funding received from Optometry Giving Sight. Professor Holden, who has extensive experience in eye care, education and blindness prevention internationally, has also agreed to act as the Chief Mentor to the Federation.
For further media information and images please contact:
Lakshmi Shinde, Local Media Contact in Jaipur:
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Stephanie O’Connell, Director of Communications:
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