Improving the Nation’s Vision Health: A Coordinated Public Health Approach

Blindness and vision impairment are major public health problems causing a substantial human and economic toll on individuals and society including significant suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life for millions of people. More than 3.4 million (3%) Americans 40 years and older are either blind or are visually impaired and millions more are at risk for developing vision impairment and blindness. Vision impairment often affects people’s ability to drive, read, learn, watch television, or simply attend to common household or personal tasks. Reduced vision among mature adults has been shown to result in social isolation, increased risk of falling and resultant hip fractures, depression, family stress, and ultimately a greater tendency to be disabled or to die prematurely.

This provides comprehensive and coordinated vision health strategies and activities that have been organized around assessment, application, and action principles. Together these serve to provide forward momentum at this critical juncture in time. Strategies identified will: build on existing data sources to improve vision loss and eye disease data collection; explore innovative mechanisms to collect vision data; assess the total impact of blindness and vision impairment throughout the life span; provide a more thorough understanding of the application of behavior change models to improve utilization of vision care and modify provider practice; enhance the roles of existing health programs; and, assess and encourage appropriate modifications to health care systems to better meet the vision health needs of all Americans.