First UN resolution on visual impairment adopted unanimously
The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted the first ever resolution on vision impairment, committing access to eye health for the 1.1 billion people living with preventable sight loss by 2030.
Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Ambassador Rabab Fatima, introduced the resolution on behalf of the Friends of Vision, an informal like-minded group at UN working for the greater access to eye heath care.
The resolution titled "Vision for Everyone: Accelerating Action to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals" is unique as it is the first agreement among the member states of this highest global body and is designed to tackle preventable sight loss.
Ambassador Fatima, in her speech, urged all countries in the world to set a target for vision for everyone by 2030 by ensuring full access to eye care services for their populations.
Rabab Fatima said, "The adoption of today's resolution on vision is a watershed moment in global efforts for vision care. 1.1 billion people live with preventable sight loss. Preventable sight loss is a global challenge that needs a global solution -- and that is what we have agreed today."
Referring to a global survey data, the ambassador stated that vision impairment and blindness pose an enormous global financial burden with the annual global costs of productivity losses estimated to be US$ 411 billion.
The resolution calls upon member states to make eye health integral to their nation's commitment to achieving SDGs. It also asks for international financial institutions and donors to provide targeted finances, especially to support developing countries in tackling preventable sight loss.
About 90 percent of people who do not have access to proper eye health care live in low- and middle-income countries.
In Bangladesh, according to an estimate of 2018, the number of blind people, aged 30 and above, is 750,000 and more than 6 million people in Bangladesh need vision correction by spectacles or by any other means.
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