VISION 2020 brings together governments, non-government organisations and eye-care professionals to develop and implement sustainable programmes that fight the causes of blindness.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that without major intervention, the number of people who are blind will increase to 75 million by 2020.
By reducing blindness around the world, the campaign will significantly reduce the number of people living in poverty. It will also reduce child mortality by tackling the causes of childhood blindness that cause death, such as measles and vitamin A deficiency.
VISION 2020 New Zealand’s vision is to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision loss by the year 2020, and ensure that blindness and vision impairment are no longer barriers to full participation in the community.
WHO launched the VISION 2020 campaign in partnership with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.