IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 981 

Recognizing March 6, 2008, as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day, established to increase awareness of glaucoma, which is the second leading 

cause of preventable blindness in the United States and worldwide. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2008 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself and Mr. SESSIONS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing March 6, 2008, as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day, established to increase awareness of glaucoma, which is the second leading cause of preventable 

blindness in the United States and worldwide. 

Whereas glaucoma is a progressive disease of the optic nerve, 

robbing individuals of both peripheral and central vision; 

Whereas glaucoma affects all age groups, including infants, 

children, and the elderly; 

Whereas glaucoma disproportionately affects underserved minority populations, with African-Americans having a 

three times greater risk of developing this disease than 

White Americans, and it is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in African-Americans and Hispanics; 


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•HRES 981 IH 

Whereas glaucoma is the second leading cause of preventable 

vision loss in the United States, afflicting 2,200,000 

Americans, and it is the leading cause of permanent 

blindness worldwide, afflicting 67,000,000 persons; 

Whereas awareness is absolutely crucial, as glaucoma often 

has no symptoms until vision loss occurs, and it is estimated that, in the United States, more than half of the 

individuals with glaucoma are unaware that they have it 

and, in developing countries, 90 percent of individuals 

with glaucoma are unaware that they have it; 

Whereas with early diagnosis and ongoing treatment, 90 percent of the cases where blindness occurs can be avoided 

and awareness is crucial, so that individuals with known 

risk factors for glaucoma and those over the age of 40 

should have regular, comprehensive eye examinations that 

include careful evaluation of the optic nerve and measurement of eye pressure; 

Whereas, the National Eye Institute (‘‘NEI’’) within the National Institutes of Health (‘‘NIH’’) has been a worldwide 

leader in glaucoma research, elucidating the genetic basis 

of different types of the disease (including risk factors) 

and the potential for gene therapy approaches, identifying factors that can protect the optic nerve from damage, evaluating the potential for optic nerve cell regeneration, and better understanding how elevated intraocular 

pressure leads to optic nerve damage and how pressurereducing drugs ultimately developed from NEI-led research can reduce glaucoma progression; 

Whereas adequate Federal funding is needed at the NEI for 

research to prevent, diagnose, and cure glaucoma-related 

vision impairment and blindness, which disproportionately affects underserved minority populations; and 


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•HRES 981 IH 

Whereas the public needs to know the insidious nature of 

glaucoma, that there are means for detecting and treating it to save sight, and the importance of compliance associated with those treatments, and the first-ever World 

Glaucoma Day is an observance planned to increase global awareness in that regard: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the United States House of Rep2 resentatives— 

3 (1) recognizes the first-ever World Glaucoma 

4 Day; 

5 (2) supports the efforts of the National Eye In6 stitute within the National Institutes of Health to 

7 fund research on the causes of glaucoma, including 

8 genetic and environmental risk factors, glaucoma 

9 prevention, the relationships between damage to the 

10 optic nerve and loss of vision, societal and individual 

11 impacts, diagnostics, and treatment to save and po12 tentially restore sight; and 

13 (3) congratulates the American Glaucoma Soci14 ety for its efforts to expand awareness of the preva15 lence and economic burden of glaucoma, as well as 

16 the continued need for federally funded research into 

17 the disease, through congressional visits recently 

18 conducted. 

Æ 


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