BWI: Non Communicable Diseases Need to Include Social and Economic Impact of Blindness; L V Prasad Eye Institute

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 02:46 PM IST (09:16 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Economy; Business: Business services, Healthcare, biotechnology & pharmaceutical; Healthcare
--------------------------------------------------
Non Communicable Diseases Need to Include Social and Economic Impact of Blindness; L V Prasad Eye Institute
Organizes India's first symposium on Public Health and the Eye

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, Wednesday, October 19, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- On the occasion of India's first symposium on Public Health and the Eye, organized by L V Prasad Eye Institute, leading healthcare experts from across the world highlighted that Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) now need to include reference to the massive social and economic impacts of blinding conditions like cataract, glaucoma, diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD). Globally, 285 million people are vision impaired, of whom nearly 40 million are blind. Discussions around NCDs often focus on mortality rates, and today there is evidence to suggest a direct relationship between blindness and mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), deaths from NCDs will increase by 17 per cent in the next decade.

The day-long symposium on public health and the eye, organized as part of L V Prasad Eye Institute's silver jubilee celebrations, saw the participation of many eminent speakers in the field, both from India and abroad. The aim of the symposium was to impact governments and donors, so they recognize that blinding conditions are wide reaching public health problems that require sufficient resources and integrated responses if they are to be effectively addressed. Keshav Desiraju, Additional Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India delivered the keynote address. Other speakers included Prof. Allen Foster, Dr Pararajasegaram, Prof. Hugh Taylor, Dr Serge Resnikoff, Prof. Jill Keefe, Prof. Mala Rao, Dr R Kim, Prof. Kovin Naidoo, Dr Vilas Kovai, Dr Srinivas Marmamula, Ms S Sheeladevi and Dr G V S Murthy. Dr Rohit Khanna made the introductory remarks and Dr Padmaja Kumari Rani the concluding remarks.

In his opening remarks, Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Founder and Chairman, L V Prasad Eye Institute, spoke about how LVPEI has succeeded in taking high quality, comprehensive eye care to all sections of people in the remotest rural areas through its innovative pyramidal model of delivery. He also pointed out how this model is now working towards integration with work in NCDs and disabilities.

Community Eye Health has been one of the major activities of L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in the past 25 years. Dr Allen Foster and Dr Ramachandra Pararajasegaram have been major influences for LVPEI to move in the direction. Recognizing their contributions in steering LVPEI in this direction, today the education division of LVPEI's community eye health was named as PARARAJASEGARAM EDUCATION CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH and the research division as ALLEN FOSTER RESEARCH CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH.

Dr Serge Resnikoff, Former head of the Non Communicable Diseases prevention and management unit at WHO, highlighted that developing synergies and identifying common solutions for chronic disease management represents both a challenge and a unique opportunity.

Prof. Allen Foster, President CBM International Office, Bensheim, Germany, while speaking on VISION 2020: A Rights-based Approach to Sight highlighted that Vision 2020 is primarily a public health intervention, with the goal to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. There have been significant achievements in the last 20 years, however more needs to be done and there are also new challenges.

Dr R Pararajasegaram, former regional Advisor and Consultant for WHO, said that though majorly related to aging, a non modifiable risk factor, research showed that lifestyle and behavioural changes mediated through health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, where appropriate, can delay, control or prevent many conditions underlying vision loss.

Elaborating on Vision 20:20 and Diabetes, Prof. Hugh Taylor, Melbourne Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Chair of Indigenous Eye Health said that 98% of the blindness from diabetes is potentially preventable with timely laser treatment. Although not typically recognized as a "killer disease," blindness does lead to increased mortality. Severe vision loss, and blindness, is one of the most disabling complications of diabetes. It is vital that regular eye examinations are an integral part of the health care of diabetics and that these processes are fully integrated into the health system.

Prof. Mala Rao, Professor of International Health, University of East London and Public Health Adviser to the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, said that good quality universally accessible primary care is also the means of maintaining good eye health across the population and reducing disability.

Refractive error is one of the most common causes of visual impairment around the world and the second leading cause of treatable blindness. Prof. Jill Keeffe, Head of the Population Health Unit at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness at CERA said that the most commonly reported barriers to having an eye exam relate to access - cost, distance and family support. Socio-demographic factors also pose barriers with solutions needing to address the barriers such as poverty, gender and age.

About L V Prasad Eye Institute

The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1986-87 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. From its very beginning, it set forth as its core values the "Three E's", namely, Equity, Efficiency and Excellence. Equity translates as treating all patients (paying for services or not, rich or poor) with the same high-quality, no-compromise care. Efficiency translates into using the best available tools and technology, translating results of research into clinical practice, and evolving or changing policy as needed. Excellence is an ever-ascending goal that LVPEI attempts to achieve.

LVPEI has six active arms to its areas of operations namely Clinical Services, Education, Research, Rehabilitation and Sight Enhancement Services, Eye Bank, and Public Health and Rural Outreach.


CONTACT DETAILS
Dr Sreedevi Yadavalli, Associate Director and Head - Communications, L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), +91 (40) 23547254/ +91 (40) 30612555, ysreedevi@lvpei.org

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ECONOMY, BUSINESS SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, HEALTHCARE

If you wish to change your Business Wire India selection please click on this link http://www.businesswireindia.com/media/news.asp and use your personal username and password to login.

Submit your press release at http://www.businesswireindia.com