World Sight Day Congressional Briefing Focuses on NASEM Report

 

From left: Speakers included Meg McCoy, J.D., M.P.H., (NASEM), Eve Higginbotham, M.D. (Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania) and Lori Grover, O.D., Ph.D. (King-Devick Test, Inc.). Dr. Higginbotham and Dr. Grover served on the Study Committee, while Ms. McCoy served as Study Director.

On October 13, VISION 2020 USA’s World Sight Day 2016 Congressional Briefing focused on educating staff about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM, formerly the Institute of Medicine, IOM) report released on September 15 and entitled Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow. The report makes nine recommendations, including calling on the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local health departments, the vision community, and stakeholders to raise national awareness and take action toward reducing the burden of vision impairment and eye disease. Through the report, NASEM wants to transform vision impairments from common to rare and eliminate correctable and avoidable vision impairments in the United States by year 2030.

NAEVR was a study sponsor and issued a statement supporting the report’s recommendations.

From left: Greg Chavez (The Vision Council), AEVR Executive Director James Jorkasky, and Rodney Peele, J.D. (American Optometric Association)

From left: Vision 2020 USA Chair Jeff Todd, J.D. (Prevent Blindness) with Ali Manson (American Optometric Association) and Lester Marks (Lighthouse Guild)

About VISION 2020 USA
Launched on April 30, 2009, more than 40 U.S.-based organizations have come together under the umbrella of VISION 2020 USA, a national entity within the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and its VISION 2020: The Right To Sight Initiative, to better coordinate national and international blindness prevention efforts. With a goal of “no more avoidable blindness,” VISION 2020 USA works to prevent avoidable blindness and to ensure that those with unavoidable vision loss can meet their full potential by supporting public policy that includes comprehensive eye care, health care systems that integrate eye care, and universal access to eye care.