WRITTEN QUESTION E-0757/03

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 March 2003)

Subject: Action against avoidable blindness

Vision 2020: The Right to Sight is a worldwide campaign that aims to eliminate all avoidable blindness by 2020. The aim of the campaign is to give effect in the 21st century to the motto that everyone has the right to sight, a right that must not be taken away by poverty or by lack of information or care.

90 % of blind people live in the Third World, and 80 % of the world's blindness could have been avoidaed or cured. Cataracts can be removed. Trachoma, an infectious disease that causes blindness mostly in women and children living in areas lacking in clean water, can be avoided and cured. It is hoped that river blindness will be eliminated by 2007. In west Africa the illness has already been brought under control. Few campaigns have had so much success with so little resources.

Is the Commission prepared to make the fight against all forms of blindness in the world a priority?

If so, in what way?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2003)

The Commission is aware of the burden of disease due to avoidable blindness in developing countries. The global burden of serious visual impairment is estimated to be some 150 million people with some 40 million of them blind (visual acuity less than 3/60). As stated, 90 % of the blind live in developing countries and 80 % of the world's blindness can be prevented or cured. Besides the profound effects on the health of those affected, blindness has severe economic consequences in the community. Cataract, trachoma and glaucoma together account for more than 70 % of the world's blindness. Other important causes such as xerophtalmia (Vitamin A deficiency), onchocerciasis in West Africa and leprosy, could be eradicated. As ageing and urbanisation changes the disease pattern in many developing countries, other causes of blindness such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration are expected to increase further the burden of blindness.

The Commission supports the strengthening of health systems, which are the key to effective and sustainable prevention and care of most causes of blindness. Water supply and sanitation is another essential element to reduce the incidence of trachoma, and here the Commission has programmed over EUR 600 million in support. The Commission has also supported with EUR 4,5 million from the 8th European Development Fund (EDF), the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control where Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom are also donors.

As regards the Community, a number of projects relating to problems of sight have been subsidised under the Community health monitoring programme (1997-2002):

- projects to develop a set of indicators for the Community covering most of the aspects of health, including vision (ECHI, Euro-REVES, etc.);

- projects to monitor risk factors, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, which are common causes of visual impairment and even blindness.

Under the new Community public health programme (2003-2008), one of the priority areas for 2003 is obesity, a risk factor in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.