Developing Optometry’s Leadership in Eye and Vision Care Solutions

Public Health Toolkit: Developing Optometry’s Leadership in Eye and Vision Care Solutions Melissa Padilla, WCO Executive Director
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) has developed the Public Health Toolkit: Developing Optometry’s Leadership in Eye and Vision Care Solutions to increase optometrists’ awareness, capacity and participation in VISION 2020: The Right to Sight activities. Sponsored by VISTAKON, the CD Rom provides a roadmap to identifying key priorities, leverage points, gaps and constraints, technical considerations and operational strategies for the improvement of eye and vision care. It provides optometrists with a hands-on guide to developing effective, efficient and equitable health care interventions in their respective countries.
The kit’s development and use is critical to the eye and vision care of our worldwide population. Recently released figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscore the public health imperative resulting from uncorrected refractive error. The WHO global estimates reveal that “153 million people are blind or visually impaired due to uncorrected refractive error (less than 6/18 in their best eye) – including at least 13 million children and 45 million working-age adults.” The data does not include presbyopes, which could add another 150 million people to the count. An additional 37 million people are blind and 124 million visually impaired due to eye disease.
Spearheaded by the WCO Public Health and Development Committee (PHDC), the Public Health Toolkit provides a guide to developing long-term, sustainable eye care delivery systems. It familiarizes optometrists with the public health considerations that ultimately influence policy reformation, service delivery, educational programs, personnel development and economic impact. End users gain the background knowledge and terminology needed to operate in a public health context.
The situational analysis section emphasizes the importance of collecting baseline epidemiological data and information about human resources, capital equipment, training requirements, service delivery and costs. Sample data sheets highlight core factors to consider regarding refraction and low vision services.
Referring to the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion of 1986, the Toolkit emphasizes a need to advocate for political, social, economic, biological and cultural environments that are conducive to public health interventions. It presents an evidence-based need to reduce the burden of blindness by increasing individuals’ access to information and services so that they may practice healthy life style behaviors. It delves into issues about quality of life – social integration, learning potential, productivity and independent living.
The CD Rom includes a step-by-step approach to developing a national health care strategy that addresses the core eye and vision care needs. The program directs the user from the initial stage of clarifying a strategic objective to the end stage of performing a pilot study with outcome assessments. It emphasizes the importance of establishing a need; conducting a situational analysis; defining priorities and criteria; setting explicit objectives with measurable goals; mobilizing resources; developing human resources; and increasing awareness.
End users can distinguish between three levels of disease prevention: primary, secondary and tertiary. A schematic provides a visual presentation of a district health system and framework for service delivery. As optometrists learn to develop a national health care plan, they are introduced to the key methods of disease control: promotive, preventative, curative and rehabilitative.
PHDC Chair Ron Fyfe states, “The development of teams and leaders involves strategic planning and innovation to address a broad range of factors related to blindness prevention. The creators of this roadmap envision a pathway that engages optometrists and optometric leaders to collectively join forces with other professionals in facing the challenges of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.”
The WCO extends special thanks to PHDC Chair Fyfe and Committee Members Kovin Naidoo, Janet Leasher and Chip Parker. Their dedication and foresight have created an invaluable product that will empower optometrists to contribute to the development of national eye care plans, thereby reducing the burden of disease and improving the lives of others.