Clear Focus

Clear Focus report highlights economic cost of vision loss on New Zealand 

VISION 2020 New Zealand has released a report highlighting the economic impact of vision loss in New Zealand.  cbm New Zealand,  joined with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to hold a launch at Parliament, hosted by Dr Paul Hutchison, Chairperson of the Health Committee. 

Clear Focus identifies that vision loss cost New Zealand society $2.8 billion in 2009, and this figure is increasing each year. 

Without a focused effort on preventing sight loss, Clear Focus projects a rise in the number of New Zealanders over 40 who have vision loss from 125,000 to 174,000 by 2020. Direct health costs alone would more than double to $523 million by 2020, compared with $198 million in 2009.

Conducted by Access Economics, the Clear Focus research looks at the best available evidence to estimate the number of Mâori and non- Mâori New Zealanders with mild to severe vision loss. The costs of vision loss to government, industry and the New Zealand community are calculated and projected to 2020.

VISION 2020 New Zealand is working with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and cbm New Zealand, along with other not for profit and eye health sector organisations, to build support for a comprehensive national eye health strategy.   Keep up with the latest campaign news by following VISION 2020 New Zealand on Facebook and Twitter.

DOWNLOAD THE CLEAR FOCUS RESEARCH

Clear Focus Overview (PDF, 1.24MB)

Clear Focus Overview (Word, 98 kB)

Full Clear Focus research (PDF, 977 kB)

Full Clear Focus research in electronic text (Word, 1.24 MB)

WHY IS cbm SUPPORTING THIS WORK IN NEW ZEALAND?

cbm is a founding member of VISION 2020, the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, a joint programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) with an international membership of NGOs, professional associations, eye care institutions and corporations.  In New Zealand and around the world, cbm supports partnerships and collaborations that work to eliminate unnecessary blindness.  cbm is thrilled to see such an important initiative take root in New Zealand and welcomes the release of the Clear Focus research.

cbm is the largest international disability and development organisation in the world working to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, and those at risk of disability, living in the world’s poorest places. 

Our project work is focused on the poorest countries of Africa, Asia, South America and the Pacific.  Yet our overall efforts to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities are truly global. 

The human experience of disability spans ethnicity, religion, race and creed. An inclusive world is not one that is defined by borders – an inclusive world is all encompassing. 

As such, cbm provides support to governments, institutions and organisations working to include persons with disabilities into society and prevent disabilities from forming.  This includes New Zealand, Australia, the European Union, the USA and Canada, The World Bank, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, an array of non-governmental organisations, and others.
 

For more information on cbm's involvement with VISION 2020 New Zealand, please contact Kasia Mills, at kmills@cbmi.org.nz