The implementation of the "Vision 2020 – The Right to Sight" initiative, which started in 1999, will provide protection against blindness to about 100 million people worldwide, 90% of whom live in underdeveloped countries, said The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane upon arrival to King Khalid Airport coming from the Argentine capital Buenos Airs, where he received two awards in blindness prevention on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.
According to Dr. Al-Mane the Vision 2020 initiative works for creating eye care centers, with especial concentration on poorer countries in the different parts of the world. "The initiative works for creating a base of well trained eye care specialists, in addition to implementing certain programs for identifying the causes of blindness", he said.
He said 75% of blindness cases are treatable or avoidable since correction of vision and treatment are effective means for controlling most of blindness causes.
"The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a number of warnings on the ever increasing rates of blindness cases in the world", he said. "There are about 37 million blindness cases and 124 million visual impairment cases in the world, whereas expectations indicate a figure of 75 million cases of blindness by 2020, unless measurements are taken for controlling the disease and its causes".
Dr. Al-Mane has lead a high ranking delegation of MOH and other health officials to the eighth meetings of IAPB General Assembly, which were held in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The international media have circulated the news of receipt of two awards, namely the Global Participation Award and the Regional Achievement Award, by the Minister of Health in acknowledgement of the support offered by the Kingdom to blindness prevention programs in the different parts of the world.