Going beyond health: the role eye care plays in the SDGs

At the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand.

In 2019, the World Report on Vision brought eye care into the broader health care sector agenda and recommended integrating it into primary care. The key focus of the report was advancing universal health coverage (UHC) through eye care and the implementation of integrated people-centred eye care that contributed to SDGs and especially goal 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages). The link between eye health, UHC and SDG3 is well documented and outlined in our blog.

Eye care is an area of health care with highly cost-effective interventions for health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation to address the full range of needs associated with eye conditions and vision impairment across the life course. The benefits for the individual and society are significant and the impact would be astounding if the world’s eye care needs were met.

The link between eye care and the Sustainable Development Goals

On 23 July 2021, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Vision for Everyone: Accelerating action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This resolution committed the international community to ensure access to eye care services for the 1.1 billion people living with preventable sight loss by 2030. The resolution was unanimously adopted by all 193 countries of the United Nations. This significant resolution linked eye care to seven SDG goals beyond just SDG3.

Practical guidance for eye health and the SDGs

In recognition of eye health’s contribution towards economic and social development and its cost-effective means of unlocking human potential, there are a few key areas in which countries can integrate eye health into their progress towards Agenda 2030.

• Eye health should be incorporated into universal health coverage planning, processes and budgeting. For example, investing in and planning the health care workforce should include eye health professionals and eye care in the essential interventions and medicines list. For further information, see here.
• Recognise the impact access to eye care has on educational attainment and economic productivity and consider integrating eye care into education and occupational settings.
• In recognition of the role good vision can play in road safety, ensure that all drivers can access regular eye care.
• Ensure that the provision of eye care is equitable and accessible to all. Consider targeted approaches to ensure that those in positions of vulnerability, such as women and girls and people with disabilities, can access these services to ensure we are leaving no one behind.
• Incorporate eye health data and reporting into current reporting mechanisms:

1. Collect data and report on effective refractive error coverage and effective cataract surgical coverage as part of progress towards global targets outlined in WHO Resolution A74/9 Add.3
2. Progress on eye health can be incorporated into voluntary national reviews for the High-Level Political Forum

Conclusion

Eye health is about more than sight – it’s about a vision of the future. The SDGs are an urgent call for action for now and the future. So, to achieve the SDGs, eye health is essential.

Impacting numerous goals, eye health has a ripple effect that improves gender equity, education, economic and health outcomes. But unless it is recognised as a vital part of the bigger health and development picture, our efforts to achieve the SDGs and universal health coverage will fail.