4. We must be speaking about (and funding) well being care as a complete, not particular person illnesses
Typically, funding is allotted for tasks that sort out particular person illnesses slightly than well being care as a complete. However the well being care system isn’t working successfully in case you efficiently deal with somebody for HIV and so they then die of a non-communicable illness (for example).
We have to take a look at well being care as a system, not as one illness. We’d like an built-in method to well being and one the place we’re not funding parallel programmes or tackling single illnesses. At CPHIA, there appeared to be a consensus amongst attendees that that is the very best method, however the issue appears to be that funding has already been dedicated for programmes tackling a single illness for a time period, maybe for the subsequent 5 to 10 years. Who has the facility to reallocate funding or to alter that?
Once we’re speaking a few complete and built-in method to well being care, we should ensure that eye well being is on the desk and is without doubt one of the priorities.
5. Eye care must be included in main well being care
Periods on the convention explored how enhancing main well being care makes the general well being system higher. It was fairly attention-grabbing for me to see everyone realise that we want well being safety to attain common well being protection.
Then, we have to be sure that eye well being is included on the main stage in order that once we are driving that agenda, we’re additionally pushing for the mixing of eye care into main well being care.
It was promising to see classes discussing what proportion of the well being finances goes to main well being care. How a lot are we anticipating out of our well being care? If we imagine that enhancing main stage providers will deal with a lot of the issues, is that this mirrored within the finances? Or are we simply placing strain on main well being care to attain one thing with out ample sources?
6. Know-how is thrilling, however we’ve got to watch out
The convention was instrumental in furthering my understanding of the place Africa and the remainder of the world are heading concerning innovation and know-how, with each developments affecting eye well being. Know-how and innovation are good, however in addition they have a draw back. Due to this fact, there’s a want for an acceptable governance construction for innovation and know-how at totally different ranges. There are additionally questions on how we regulate know-how and aspirations to verify we use it to enhance our present work, not create extra parallel methods.
I believe that we should always take a look at how know-how can assist us. For instance, with regards to diagnostics, we should take a look at the know-how or improvements that may assist us attain the folks left furthest behind.
Then, how do these diagnoses get fed again and the way does this information get captured within the well being system?
Remaining ideas
I really feel a profound sense of accountability to play my half, nonetheless small, in guaranteeing that everybody has entry to high-quality, sustainable, and equitable well being providers once they want them. Nobody ought to undergo the tragedy of avoidable blindness.
At present, 1.1 billion folks worldwide have an untreated or preventable visible impairment. And the issue is spiralling – with out pressing enchancment to eye well being providers worldwide, 61 million folks might be blind by 2050.
Eye well being must be prioritised as a part of a complete method to main well being care and common well being protection. Whereas progress has been made, work nonetheless must be accomplished to make sure eye well being providers are an integral a part of nationwide well being care.
Nations want to make sure eye well being is represented of their planning, resourcing and funding of well being care.
Why? As a result of Eye well being equals alternative, permitting youngsters to study and adults to earn. It equals improved wellbeing: supporting households, communities and nations to thrive. And it equals progress in the direction of decreasing poverty and inequality.
