26-07-2025
‘WHO initiative to ensure affordable eyecare services for all by 2030'
Over 800 million people across the world have vision problems and do not have access to eye care, said Dr Yutaro Setoya, Team Lead Non-communicable Diseases and Comorbidities, World Health Organisation (WHO) India.
Dr Setoya was addressing a conference on adolescent eye health in India — with a special focus on the alarming increase in myopia — at Amity University, Noida. The conference was organised by WHO and Drishti, an NGO working to create awareness on eye care, founded by Amity student Sanjana Chauhan.
'Vision problems affect millions of people worldwide. It not only affects your eyesight, but also affects your education, economic productivity, and overall well-being. Children and adolescents between five and 15 years of age suffer from vision impairment and refractive errors,' Dr Setoya said.
Dr Setoya added that the WHO has launched a global initiative — 'Global Specs 2030' — to ensure that everyone has access to affordable eyecare services by 2030. 'Our vision health champions are the youth ambassadors for adolescent eye care because we believe in the power of youth as catalysts of change.'
