Message from Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region
Every year World Sight Day, observed on the second Thursday of October, provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the state of eye health, especially in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Vision loss remains a significant public health concern in our Region, affecting millions of people of all ages.
This year the focus of the Day is children whose eye health is fundamental to their development, education, and overall well-being. Today we prioritize protecting their vision for a brighter and healthier future. Addressing children’s eye health is critical to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people live with a near or distance vision impairment, of which 30% live in our region, bearing a substantial portion of this burden. At least 1 billion cases of vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed, especially through interventions like spectacles or cataract surgeries. Globally, it is estimated that the number of children and adolescents with myopia is expected to increase by 200 million between the years 2000 and 2050.
The regional targets for refractive error correction, cataract surgery, diabetic retinopathy management, and the elimination of trachoma has always been an essential part of our Action Plan for Integrated People-centered Eye Care in South-East Asia 2022-2030. This year, WHO has validated the dossier for elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in India. In addition, since the launch of the Plan, several Member States have conducted national stakeholder meetings to review their eye health care systems and are in the process of developing integrated eye care plans. This underscores our collective drive towards a region where eye care is accessible to all.
Another pivotal step forward is the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative, launched in May 2024. This initiative aims to ensure that everyone who requires refractive error correction through spectacles can access quality, affordable services. For the South-East Asia Region, where uncorrected refractive errors are a leading cause of vision impairment, this initiative is vital. We anticipate that it will reach over 800 million people globally, including millions within our region.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. Vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors is on the rise, fueled by changing lifestyles that emphasize near-vision activities and reduce outdoor pursuits. With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in our region, diabetic retinopathy is emerging as a significant threat to eye health. Strengthening diabetic retinopathy management is essential to protect the vision of millions of people and reduce the long-term burden on our health systems. These growing challenges is exacerbated by limited access to eye care services which in some countries of our region is offered mostly by private providers, making it costly and difficult to access. This particularly affects low-income populations and vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities or ethnic minorities.
On this World Sight Day, we reaffirm our commitment to overcoming the critical barriers that exist and, achieving universal eye health coverage by 2030. WHO will continue to work closely with Member States to implement the Action Plan for Integrated People-centered Eye Care in South-East Asia 2022-2030 and ensure that the transformative power of spectacles, cataract surgery, and other eye care interventions reaches every person in need. Together, we can create a future where blindness and vision impairment are no longer a barrier to quality of life in our region.