Key Points
- CDC’s Vision Health Initiative (VHI) promotes vision loss prevention and eye health.
- VHI is committed to creating a more effective multilevel network to support those goals.
- VHI works with partners to improve eye health, reduce vision loss, and promote health in people with vision loss.
Purpose
VHI's mission
VHI promotes vision health and quality of life for all populations, throughout all life stages. Efforts focus on preventing and controlling eye disease, eye injury, and vision loss resulting in disability.
VHI's goals are to:
- Promote eye health and prevent vision loss.
- Improve the health and lives of people with vision loss by preventing complications and disability.
- Reduce vision and eye health disparities.
- Integrate vision health with other public health strategies.
Goals
To assess and monitor the burden of vision impairment and blindness. VHI develops and refines vision surveillance at state and national levels. VHI also helps states develop their capacity to implement effective surveillance systems.
To build capacity for conducting epidemiologic, behavioral, and health services research related to vision loss at all life stages. VHI also translates scientific evidence into public health practice, health policy, and health promotion strategies.
To identify, prioritize, and disseminate evidence-based, efficient, and cost-effective public health interventions to:
- Improve quality of life.
- Increase access to needed eye care.
- Reduce health disparities among people with or at high risk for vision loss.
To leverage resources, promote strategic partnerships, and provide technical assistance to national, state, and community-based partners. This supports partners in preserving, protecting, and enhancing vision health.
To integrate appropriate and effective vision health activities into existing state and community public health programs.
Future direction
Future vision health initiatives can incorporate innovative, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary approaches that include eye health in lifestyle interventions. Eye health disparities can be addressed and impacts can be evaluated while using finite resources wisely.
Working with partners, CDC aims to expand surveillance activities, programs, and interventions to improve care for people with or at risk for vision loss. CDC is also working to develop a state-level integration model to address vision and eye disease problems.