What’s new at the back of the eye?

The changing demographic pattern of visual impairment VISION 2020 and the prevention of visual impairment are moving into the political and public spotlight. Recent WHO discussions on the growing incidence of chronic, age-related, non-communicable diseases indicate that visual health and its preservation are now receiving attention. Recent publications illustrate the changing demographic pattern of visual impairment, implications for public health and possible interventions to control sight-threatening conditions. Both The State of the World’s Sight, VISION 2020: the Right to Sight, 1999-2005,1 published jointly by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), and an article in the World Health Bulletin, November 2004,2 illustrate these trends.