The policy context
Vision loss and blindness have broad ranging impacts on New Zealand society.
Each year, thousands of people in New Zealand needlessly experience vision loss and many go blind.
In 2009, almost 125,000 New Zealanders aged 40 years or over had vision loss and 12,000 of these people were blind. This will increase as the population continues to age. Assuming a policy-neutral environment, it is projected that almost 174,000 New Zealanders will experience vision loss in 2020 and 18,300 will be blind.
Given that most visoin loss is avoidable or treatable, it is staggering that in economic terms, the total cost to the New Zealand community was $2.8 billion in 2009.
Direct health costs alone are projected to more than double to $523 million by 2020, compared with $198 million in 2009.
In 2009, New Zealand was part of the Sixty-Second World Health Assembly that endorsed the Action Plan for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment. The plan set five key objectives to reach the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by 2020. These are:
- Strengthen advocacy to increase Member States' political, financial and technical commitment in order to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairment.
- Develop and strengthen national policies, plans and programmes for eye health and prevention of blindness and visual impairment.
- Increase and expand research for the prevention of blindness and visual impairment.
- Improve coordination between partnerships and stakeholders at national and international levels for the prevention of blindness and visual impairment.
- Monitor progress in elimination of avoidable blindness at national, regional and global levels.
This page is part of the overview report Clear Focus: The economic impact of vision loss in New Zealand in 2009.
