WHO launches SPECS 2030 initiative with goal of 40% increase in access to spectacles
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The WHO has announced the launch of SPECS 2030, a global initiative to assist countries in attaining a 40% increase in the proportion of people with access to appropriate spectacles.
“The SPECS 2030 initiative marks a significant milestone in combatting uncorrected refractive error ... which is the leading cause of vision impairment in both children and adults,” Bente Mikkelsen, MD, MHA, WHO director for noncommunicable diseases, rehabilitation and disability, said in an organization press release. “Globally, it is estimated that only around one-third of people with vision impairment due to refractive error have access to a pair of spectacles that allows them to see well.”
The initiative comprises five key pillars: improving access to services, building personnel capacity, improving education, reducing the cost of services, and strengthening surveillance and research.
The program also will employ four key strategies of engagement, which are:
- development of standards that build on existing WHO technical guidance for eye care;
- creation of a global SPECS network to provide a platform for organizations to coordinate advocacy and action;
- promotion of dialogue between private service providers, industry and insurance companies; and
- engagement of regions and countries to bridge the gap between global eye care commitments and country implementation.
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