Aiims May 2007 PSM MCQ Answer 1

The correct Answer is C

'Vision 2020: The Right to Sight’ is a global campaign with the objective of liminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with various international, non-governmental and private organisations launched it worldwide on February 18,1999.

Strategies for implementing Vision 2020

1. Control and prevention of major blinding diseases and disorders: Cataract, Trachoma, Onchocerciasis, Childhood Blindness, Refractive Errors and Low Vision have been identified as immediate priorities based on the burden of blindness they represent and the feasibility and affordability of interventions to prevent and treat them.

2. Training of human resources: Adequately trained human resources are a key factor for
achieving the goals of Vision 2020. Training will need to be provided to ophthalmologists, refractionists, and managers of national/regional prevention of blindness programmes. In India
the target is to have one ophthalmologist per 50,000 population from the present ratio of 1
per 100,000.

3. Strengthening the existing eye care infrastructure:
In the global scenario it is clear that the current infrastructure has to be significantly increased in terms of eye hospitals, beds, equipment and manpower. While establishing new infrastructure the issues of accessibility and coverage can be addressed by the following factors:
-Location
-Range of service
-Barriers to access
-Utilisation

4. Use of appropriate and affordable technology:
Rapid advances are being made in the field of ophthalmology in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. The same is happening in the specific focus area of Vision 2020, which are cataract, trachoma, childhood blindness, refractive errors and low vision. Here the challenge in “Technology” is not so much innovating but adapting the new developments to the local economies in a cost-effective manner. Initiatives that aim at transfer of technology so that manufacturing of high quality equipment and consumables at low cost by developing countries will be supported and promoted by Vision 2020. So the whole challenge is really in technology management.The technology management has to have a comprehensive approach and the various elements in such an approach are listed below:

- Making it affordable
- Developing skills in using them
- Infrastructure for new technologies
- Developing commercial infrastructure
- Community awareness

Reference:Vision 2020: The Global Initiative for Right to Sight, R.D. Thulasiraj, R. Muralikrishnan, Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Madurai

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