GLOBAL OPTOMETRY

Sandra E Wang-Harris OD, MPH

[email protected]
Room 524
OPTOMETRY GLOBALLY
The profession of Optometry is not widely recognized
in many parts of Latin America, Europe, Asia and
Africa
The recognition of the profession in many countries is
still not accepted by either the Ministry of Education
and or Ministry of Health
Many countries do not have educational programs
related to Optometry
For example, in the continent of Africa consisting of 54 countries,
Optometric educational programs only exists in16 countries.
Some of the inherent problems in Africa with Optometric
education are the lack of resources for facilities, equipment and
teachers
WORLD COUNCIL OF OPTOMETRY
The World Council of Optometry (WCO),
formerly known as the International
Optometry and Optical League (IOOL), in
the 1990s came up with a formal definition
of Optometry …
DEFINITION OF OPTOMETRY
Optometry is a healthcare profession that is autonomous,
educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and
Optometrists are the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye
and visual system who provide comprehensive eye and vision
care, which includes refraction and dispensing,
detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and
the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.
An optometrist has successfully undertaken an advanced level of
relevant higher education, with the award of a bachelor’s degree
or higher from a tertiary-level educational institution.
What do “full scope Optometry” and “primary
care” Optometry include?
The professional training and service to the public
include
refraction, optics and related areas,
contact lenses, binocular vision and visual training,
pediatrics,
rehabilitation vision and geriatric care,
pathology, diagnostic and therapeutics pharmaceutical
agents,
environmental vision and vision science
A VISUAL HEALTH PROFESSION
In recent years, Optometry has been promoted
around the world as a visual health profession. In
countries where the profession is evolving, the
principles being applied are as follows:
Visual health for all: a human right
Visual health and quality of life
Need for educational training
Legislative changes will improve access to visual health
care
Accessibility
Affordability
The Lancet: Global Health April 2021
WORLDWIDE SCOPE
WHAT SCHOOLS ARE THERE WORLDWIDE?
MEMBER SCHOOLS
NON-MEMBER SCHOOLS
WCO World Congresses

Held bi-annually. The World Congress

offers a global platform for practitioners,
students, researchers and educators can
share expertise on the development of
optometry’s future.
World Council of Optometry
GLOBAL VISION PARTNERS
WOF

The World Optometry Foundation (WOF) is a

complementary, not-for-profit organization that
was established by WCO to finance projects that
foster self-sufficiency and long-term
independence among developing nations. WOF
was a founding member of
Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), the only global
fundraising initiative specifically targeting the
prevention of blindness due to refractive error and
helping those with permanent low vision.
OPTOMETRY GIVING SIGHT
Optometry Giving Sight is the only global fundraising initiative that
specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision
due to uncorrected refractive error (URE) – simply the need for an
eye examination and glasses. It was established in 2003 by the Brien
Holden Vision Institute, World Council of Optometry, and the
International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness as a means of
mobilizing support from the global eye care profession and industry to
help eliminate the backlog of people who are needlessly blind or
vision impaired – currently estimated at more than 600 million
worldwide. It is a registered charity in the USA, Canada, Mexico,
Australia, Ireland, and Italy. In the UK we work in partnership with
Vision Aid Overseas.
OUR CHILDREN’S VISION

Our Children’s Vision (OCV) is an initiative of

the Brien Holden Vision Institute and Essilor
Vision for Life. It is supported by 63 partners who
together, aim to ensure that 50 million children
gain access to the eye care they need by 2020;
that eye health programs are integrated into
school health programs, and that there is
increased awareness of the risk of myopia on
children’s vision.
Brien Holden Vision Institute

Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) develops

new solutions for vision care, especially refractive
error, and work to eliminate vision impairment and
avoidable blindness, thereby improving quality of
life for people in need and helping to reduce
disability and poverty. BHVI is a social enterprise,
and invests any revenues resulting from its work
into creating scientific solutions and developing
and delivering eye care and education programs
around the world.
International Centre for Eyecare Education

Headquartered at University of New South Wales

Australia, the mission of the International Centre for
Eyecare Education (“ICEE”) is to eliminate
avoidable blindness due to “uncorrected refractive
error” –by developing sustainable solutions for
disadvantaged communities in need of eye care.
World Health Organization

WHO, as the directing and coordinating authority on international

health within the United Nations system, adheres to the UN
values of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.
The values of the WHO workforce furthermore reflect the
principles of human rights, universality and equity established in
WHO’s Constitution as well as the ethical standards of the
Organization.
These values are inspired by the WHO vision of a world in which
all peoples attain the highest possible level of health, and our
mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the
vulnerable, with measurable impact for people at country level.
We are individually and collectively committed to put these values
into practice.
World Report on Vision 2019

World Health
Organization
Recognizes
optometry globally
Aims

To raise awareness of the global magnitude and impact of eye

conditions and vision impairment and the need to address gaps in
data, particularly regarding met and unmet eye care needs;
To draw attention to effective strategies to respond to eye care
needs;
To take stock of progress, and identify the main challenges facing
the field of eye care;
To emphasize the need for making eye care an integral part of
UHC;
To make the case for IPEC (integrated people-centred eye care)
as the way forward;
To make recommendations for action to be implemented by all
countries to improve eye care.
Non-Sight Threatening Eye Conditions
Sight-Threatening Eye Conditions
Visual Impairment
Visual Impairment
Visual Impairment
Costs to Address Impairment
Preventable Vision Loss
Presbyopia
The Myopia Epidemic
The Global Solution
Integrated Health Systems
Number of Optometrists and
Ophthalmologists per Million population

250

200

150
Optometrists
100
Ophthalmologists
50

0
Low Middle High
Income Income Income
 GLOBAL POVERTY STATISTICS

Almost half
the world
(over three
billion
people) live
on less than
$2.50 a day.
Vision Impairment & the MDGs
• Seven of the eight UN Millennium
Development Goals are linked to the
priorities and implementation of VISION
2020: The Right to Sight
• VISION 2020 success will:
– Reduce suffering of individuals with
vision impairment
– Provide significant social and
economic benefits for society at
large
– Free resources to tackle other major
health and social issues
Eye care can be made available
to all citizens on earth!
Reaching the 7 billion

Middle to upper
III
class
Bottom of the II Working poor • Customers
I • Customers
Pyramid – Employed people having a
• Customers – People having a job but good job and constant
– less than 2.00 USD per day earning less than 10.00 salary
– mostly located in Sub- USD per day – mostly located in Europe,
Sahara Africa, South Asia – mostly located in Africa, North America, Australia
and East Asia and Pacific Asia and Latin America and parts of Asia
– majority unemployed
• Key criteria for services • Key criteria for services
• Key criteria for services – Affordability – Quality
– Extreme affordability
– Good quality – Fashion
– Acceptable quality
– Fashion – Reasonable prices
– Functionality

Social enterprise and Private sector

Public sector models
franchising models optometrists
BRIEN HOLDEN VISION INSTITUTE

“Vision for everyone,