CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For more than
10 years, The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health
at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has worked to ensure that children
across the country have equitable access to quality vision and eye
care services. To further this commitment, the NCCVEH is working
with other leading stakeholders to establish The Children's Vision
Equity Alliance (CVEA). By bringing together experts and resources
from eye health, education and public health organizations in
the United States, the CVEA will
work to advance equity in children's vision and eye health through
education, access, policies, and partnerships.
According to the recent report from the NCCVEH, "Children's
Vision and Eye Health: A Snapshot of Current National Issues 2nd
Edition," children experiencing health and socioeconomic inequities
have lower rates of vision testing, experience disparities in
visual impairment, and have reduced access to care. Additionally,
Latino and Black/African-American children are two to three times
more likely to have unmet vision needs. Without early detection and
treatment, uncorrected vision disorders can impair child
development, interfere with learning, and even lead to permanent
vision loss.
To help address these challenges, the initial goals of the CVEA
are to:
- Foster education about the role of vision in the learning,
health, and development of children in the target population of
underserved communities of color (specifically
Black/African-American, Indigenous and Latinx communities),
beginning with a social media campaign to educate targeted
populations.
- Advocate for policies and practices to support equitable access
to vision care for children.
- Develop partnerships to support healthy vision and eye health
equity for children.
- Continue to attract leaders from the fields of ophthalmology,
optometry, public health, school nursing, early childhood care and
education, medical care, and parent education and engagement who
work toward health equity.
"Since our founding in 1908, Prevent Blindness has worked to
ensure all children have the eye care access they deserve to enjoy
healthy vision across their lifetimes," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent
Blindness. "Through the new Children's Vision Equity Alliance,
coordinated by our National Center for Children's Vision and Eye
Health at Prevent Blindness, we are working collaboratively with
leaders, stakeholders and advocates to make sure we evolve and grow
to effectively and strategically respond to the needs of families
in underserved populations and communities."
In 2009, Prevent Blindness, with support from the Maternal and
Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services
Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
established the NCCVEH. The mission of the NCCVEH is to develop a
coordinated public health infrastructure to promote and ensure a
comprehensive, multi-tiered continuum of vision care for children.
In 2019 and 2020, the NCCVEH provided technical assistance to more
than 35 states, several national organizations, and Community of
Practice teams across the country. In total, assistance was
provided to 4,895 professionals, impacting 2,927,000 children
across the nation.
For more information about The Children's Vision Equity Alliance
or children's vision health topics, please visit
https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/childrens-vision-equity-alliance
or contact Donna Fishman at (800)
331-2020 or dfishman@preventblindness.org.
About Prevent Blindness and its National Center for Children's
Vision and Eye Health
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading
volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting
blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of
vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of
people each year through public and professional education,
advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and
patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness
established the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye
Health (NCCVEH), with support from the federal Health Resources and
Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving
as a national resource for the establishment of a public health
infrastructure, the NCCVEH advances and promotes children's vision
and eye care, providing leadership and training to public entities
throughout the United States. The
NCCVEH is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders
from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing,
family advocates and public health to guide the work and
recommendations of the NCCVEH. For more information, or to make a
contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or,
visit us on the Web at
http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org.
Media Contact
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness,
312.363.6035, shecker@preventblindness.org
SOURCE Prevent Blindness