A Vision 2020 Activity
Co-sponsored by
the World Health Organization
Hong Kong
28 to 30 May, 2001
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction:
A workshop on "Low Vision Care in the Asia-Pacific" was convened within the framework of "Vision 2020 - the Right to Sight" in Hong Kong from 28th to 30th, May, 2001. It was hosted by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind, co-sponsored by WHO, and supported, among others, by the IAPB Task Force for Vision 2020.
The Asia-Pacific Region includes three WHO / IAPB Regions (part of the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific); it is home to half of the world's population and has a disproportionate share of the global burden of visual disability.
At this workshop, some 65 participants from 22 countries, including NGOs and professional bodies represented, formulated the following conclusions and recommendations:
Service Delivery:
1. There is a great and urgent need to expand access to low vision care in the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. According to available information, it appears that overall less than 5% of the population is presently covered in the developing countries.
2. Low vision care must be an integral part of health, educational and rehabilitation services provided; it should be a clearly defined activity at primary, intermediary and tertiary levels of health care in each country. Particularly for children, wherever feasible, low vision services should be part of special/integrated/inclusive education and school health programmes.
3. Each country should include in its national programme planning for "Vision 2020", an appropriate component of low vision care in parallel with the development of refractive error services. These services need to be provided at an affordable cost by means of appropriate technology, aiming to reach all those in need.
4. Low Vision care should, as a minimum, include proper techniques for i) assessment of low vision, ii) prescription and access to optical devices, and iii) skills training. It should be based on a team approach bringing together elements of eye care, education, rehabilitation and social services.
5. Low vision services are presently offered by eye care, education and rehabilitation sectors. It is recommended that networking of these different service providers should be encouraged within each country to ensure optimum and efficient utilization of existing resources.
Human Resource Development:
6. The cadres of personnel involved in the provision of low vision care varies from country to country; it is recommended that each country should identify appropriate personnel at each level of service delivery, and structure training programmes accordingly.
7. Regional centres for low vision care should be identified in the Asia-Pacific to serve as resource institutions for training of trainers/personnel, standardization of curricula and technology development; countries should collaborate with those centres, and between each other, for optimal use of available resources.
Technology:
8. The feasibility of establishing low vision care in the developing countries will depend largely on appropriate technology for devices needed. Local capacity for production or assembling of low vision devices should be considered for all items possible, to reduce costs; countries and NGOs could collaborate as appropriate, to achieve this.
9. Many low vision devices and assessment materials may be obtained or developed at particularly low prices, if bulk purchases are made; it is therefore recommended that 1-2 agencies in the Asia-Pacific take on the role of a clearing house, centralizing purchases of such items as a common facility for the Region. The participating organizations and users of such a facility should all contribute to start-up and running costs, although a revolving fund can be envisaged eventually.
10. The feasibility of developing a "first-aid" quick assessment/optical device dispensing kit (demonstrated at the Workshop) should be pursued and field tested, as necessary.
Advocacy:
11. Lack of awareness about low vision care is a common constraint, both amongst health personnel and the public. It is therefore recommended that suitable material be developed for awareness campaigns; this could be taken on by i) APAO for ophthalmologists, ii) by corresponding professional bodies for other eye care staff, iii) and by one or several institutions in the Region for public education, with input from interested NGOs as well.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
12. Monitoring and evaluation (including audit) of low vision care in the Asia Pacific will be of increasing importance, as more projects develop in countries. It is strongly recommended that the monitoring and evaluation be part of planned project developments within "Vision 2020", focusing on access and affordability of services and equipment. In this regard there is a need to more consistently define "Low Vision", in the context of the current WHO ICD-l0 categorization of Visual impairment.
13. The elaboration of national action plans for low vision care within the "Vision 2020" Plan should include proper costing of needed services and facilities; NGOs and other interested parties should actively participate in, and support this planning and subsequent implementation.
Regional Support:
14. There is considerable benefit in regional interaction in catalyzing further development. It is recommended that a working group be formed to follow-up and facilitate the implementation of the above recommendations.
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