Global blindness: Planning and Managing eye care services
Understand global blindness and how to plan effective eye care. Learn about the WHO definitions of visual acuity, the burden of visual impairment, the Global Action Plan and explore the key management strategies for cataract and refractive error services. Discover how principles of planning can be applied to address local eye care needs.
Please note this course is currently unavailable while it is being updated. It will be back online in 2026.
Week 1: The burden of avoidable blindness
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Introduction
Basic epidemiology
Introducing the field of epidemiology and explaining how it is used to guide public health activities.
Learn the standard definition and classification of visual imairment and examine the magnitude, distribution, and causes of global blindness and visual impairment.
Week 2: VISION 2020 and Universal Eye Health
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Eliminating avoidable blindness
Discover the ideas behind and achievements of the global initiative VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, which aims to end avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
Think globally and act locally
Understand the plans to scale up global eye care through Universal Eye Health, and consider how this is applied in local settings through the eye health systems approach.
Week 3: Cataract control strategies
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How many surgeries are needed?
How can we deliver the high-volume, high quality, and efficient cataract services needed? What is the role of innovation in eye care, and what opportunities can it offer?cross all health services a relationship is established between the patients and the health provider. For glaucoma care this relationship is lifelong.
Managing the quality and cost of cataract surgery
Service provision and referral pathway alignment is an important consideration for glaucoma management
Week 4: Refractive error control strategies
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Refractive errors and school health
What are the factors which affect refractive error service delivery? Why is school vision testing an effective way of addressing this burden?
Service provision for refractive errors
Week 5: How to plan
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Planning : analysing the situation
When planning for change we need to know where we are now. What tools and methods can help us figure this out?
Setting the programme direction
Once we know where we are and have identified gaps in the current provision, we can choose our direction and focus for change.
Week 6: Implementing and monitoring the plan
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Primary open-angle glaucoma: Who to treat and how
The aim of glaucoma care is to preserve and promote the quality of life of a person.
Treatment options for open-angle glaucoma
Treatment can be medical, surgical or lasers for glaucoma on their own or in combination to address the specific requirements for every patient.
Recognising and treating angle-closure glaucoma
Iridocorneal angle closure is the fundamental problem in primary angle-closure glaucoma, while elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a consequence of angle closure.
Managing the consequences of glaucoma and related vision loss
The negative impact of blind, painful eyes due to glaucoma on patients’ quality of life cannot be underestimate
Course summary
Glaucoma management is lifelong. The public health approach is to develop a close link between the patient and the health system to prevent blindness