Transcript An introduction to WCO presentation

Enhancing and developing eye
and vision care worldwide
An introduction to our work
What
WCO?of Optometry
WorldisCouncil
An international optometric association of over 90 member
organisations, representing over 150,000 optometrists,
across six world regions.
2
Our Vision
WCO envisions a world where high quality eye health
and vision care is accessible to all people.
3
Our Mission
To facilitate the development of optometry around the
world and support optometrists in promoting eye health
and vision care as a human right through advocacy,
education, policy development
and humanitarian outreach.
2
4
WCO’s Concept of Optometry
Optometry is a healthcare profession that is autonomous,
educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and optometrists
are the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual
system who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which
includes refraction and dispensing, detection/diagnosis and
management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of
conditions of the visual system.
2
5
WCO minimum competencies for
optometrists
For WCO the minimum competencies required for
individuals to call themselves an optometrist are the
broad competencies of dispensing, refracting,
prescribing and the detection of disease/abnormality.
6
What are the issues?
Over 285 million people worldwide live with visual
impairment due to eye diseases or uncorrected refractive
errors.
• 39 million blind
• 80% of visual impairment including blindness is avoidable
• 9 in 10 blind people live in low income countries
• 517 million affected by functional presbyopia (Holden, B et al, 2008)
Source: WHO, 2010
7
Global causes of visual impairment
(including blindness)
Childhood
blindness
1%
Corneal Opacity
1%
Diabetic
Trachoma
Retinopathy
1%
1%
Cataract
33%
Age-related
Macular
Degeneration
1%
Glaucoma
2%
Undetermine
d
18%
Uncorrected
Refractive
Errors
42%
Source: Global estimates of
visual impairment: 2010
© Pascolini, D. and Mariotti,
S., 2011
Our objectives
• The enhancement and development of primary eye and
vision care by optometrists
• The promotion of high standards of education and practice
whilst promoting international co-ordination of optometrists
• The provision of support to aid programmes directed at the
provision of eye and vision care to societies in need
• The promotion of the advancement of the science of
optometry
9
Organisational structure
Governing
Board
Executive
Committee
Secretariat
Education
Committee
Membership
Committee
Legislation,
Registration and
Standards
Committee
Advocacy
Committee
Public Health and
Development
Committee
Fellowship
Committee
10
An overview of our work
Education
• Maintaining and developing current
standards of optometric education
through guidelines developed by the
Education committee:
“Curricular Support Elements for an Optometry
Programme”
• Updated list of schools of optometry:
www.worldoptometry.org/en/schools-ofoptometry/index.cfm
11
An overview of our work
Policy and legislation
• Stand alone refraction position paper
www.worldoptometry.org/en/what-we-do/position-papers.cfm
• Global Competencies based model
• Conferences
• Under the guidance of the Legislation,
Regulation and Standards Committee
12
A containable problem
Scope of Practice Questionnaire
Understanding how optometry and optics are developing in the
world:
www.worldoptometry.org/sop
2
13
An overview of our work
Public Health
• Global Public Health survey
• Supporting the development of human resources in Africa
and Asia
• Leading WCO’s Advocacy Committee
• Under the guidance of the Public
Health Committee
14
An overview of our work
Advocacy
• Supporting the recognition and regulation of optometry
across the world as a Board member of the International
Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)
• 22 WCO members supported the Brazilian Council of
Optometry and Optics on their lobbying
efforts
15
An overview of our work
Channelling resources into charity work
• The World Optometry Foundation (WOF) was established by
WCO to finance projects that support our mission.
• WOF is a founding partner of Optometry Giving Sight (OGS),
the only global fundraising initiative targeted at preventing
blindness due to uncorrected refractive
errors.
16
WCO’s strategic partners
• World Health Organization (WHO)
WCO is the only global optometric body in
official relationship with WHO.
• International Agency for the Prevention of
Blindness (IAPB)
www.iapb.org
WCO is represented at the Global Board of
IAPB and in various of its committees.
• Optometry Giving Sight (OGS)
www.givingsight.org
17
WCO membership benefits
• Access to a worldwide optometric network
• Opportunity to participate in WCO committees
• Be part of a global movement to support the development of
optometry
• Contribute to setting and maintaining
world standards of education and
practice
2
18
WCO membership benefits
• Support the implementation of the WHO Global Plan of
Action 2014-2019
• Access to high quality conferences and events
• Contribute to the development of WCO’s advocacy agenda
• Promote your activities through WCO
communications
• Access to the WCO Fellowship
programme fund
2
19
For more information write to:
[email protected]
www.worldoptometry.org