Eye Health, the forgotten NCD?

Fiona Lawless is Health Policy Adviser at Sightsavers.

Eye care is often not considered as part of non-communicable disease (NCD) management – but most eye conditions are NCDs. They share many of the key characteristics of a NCD: a condition that cannot be directly transmitted between people. NCDs are chronic conditions, and they are recognised as the largest cause of disability.

An estimated 46% of the global NCD burden is due to conditions other than the five most prominent NCDs (cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes), including vision loss and sensory conditions, and yet there is no mention of vision loss or eye care in this year’s Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health.

There are 1.1 billion people with some degree of vision loss that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed2. The two main causes of blindness and vision impairment are cataracts and uncorrected refractive error, both of which match the definition of a NCD. Many eye health conditions share hallmarks and common risk factors of the most common NCDs and can benefit from common actions.

In the 2011 Political Declaration, this commonality was recognised, thanks in part to ongoing advocacy by Sightsavers and our sector partners. However we have failed to see that important recognition continue in subsequent years’ declarations. By failing to continue this recognition, eye health risks being deprioritised and millions of people will not get the treatment they need. We already know that the number of people with avoidable and treatable vision loss is set to increase as the population ages, making it even more vital to ensure coordinated action to address the inequities that exist.

Recent studies have shown that people with vision loss or eye health conditions are more likely to have other NCDs than people with good vision, potentially due to a lack of access to basic healthcare services. This makes it even more logical to ensure eye conditions are considered a key part of NCDs and their treatment, ensuring they are part of health systems, unmet need is addressed and, ultimately, support health equity.

The eye care sector – and millions of people with treatable eye conditions – got a boost at UNGA this year with an announcement from Bloomberg Philanthropies of a new Global Effort to Improve Vision Care. Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, as well as WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, announced the $75 million investment to scale access to vision screenings, eyeglass distribution and cataract surgeries, helping address untreated vision impairment experienced by one billion people globally. Sightsavers is one of several global and national partners delivering the Vision Initiative programmes. Bloomberg’s investment will help conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restore sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries, interventions that Sightsavers has extensive experience in delivering for decades.

This news came at the same time as Antigua and Barbuda announced that it would host the first Global Summit for Eye Health in November 2026. The summit will galvanise action on eye care and will serve as a unifying platform for change and act as a convening force to drive action and organise global efforts. The solutions to eliminating avoidable sight loss are within reach: the vast majority of the 1 billion people who have sight loss that could be treated or prevented could be addressed by either a simple pair of glasses or cataract surgery. These interventions are cost-effective, with an estimated return of US$28 for every dollar invested in low to middle income countries.

While we have seen the recognition of eye care as a health and development issue, the omission of eye care from this years’ Political Declaration shows that there is more work to be done. Engagement with governments will be key in the lead up with the summit where we hope to see strong commitments to address the inequity in access to eye care both nationally and globally. Sightsavers will continue to work with governments, development partners and the private sector to secure strong, action-oriented commitments to continue the momentum and ensure eye health is recognised and prioritised by the global health community.

Eye care is NCD care. This World Sight Day, let’s ensure both are prioritised in UK global health policy.

✍️ Sign our open letter as part of our #LeadOnNCDs campaign.

Sightsavers is an international organisation working with governments and partners in more than 30 low and middle income countries across Africa and Asia to: tackle avoidable blindness and vision impairment, including cataract and refractive errors such as short-sightedness; treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases, and; create a more equal world where people with disabilities can access health care, education and employment without discrimination.