Bangladesh is set to play a leading role in global eye healthcare by co-hosting the world’s first “Global Summit on Eye Health”, State minister for health MA Muhit said on Wednesday.
The summit will highlight Bangladesh’s ongoing health sector reforms and showcase its initiatives to the international community, he said.
The announcement came after a preparatory meeting at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on a roadmap aimed at preventing blindness and reducing vision loss across the country.
The government is developing an integrated National Eye Care Plan to ensure access to eye care services for people in both urban centres and remote villages.
The plan will bring together government agencies, non-governmental organisations, private sector stakeholders and international partners to expand eye healthcare services nationwide.
Dr Muhit said a National Stakeholder Workshop would be held next week to finalise the plan, while the Specs 2030 initiative is scheduled for an official launch in mid-August.
The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman, National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital Director Prof Dr A S M Qadir, World Health Organization representative Dr Watin Alam, ARK Foundation Director Romana Huq and other health experts.
Focus on cataract treatment and productivity
Dr Muhit identified three “ultra-urgent” priorities under the new roadmap, including addressing the backlog of more than one million people suffering from cataract-related blindness through accelerated surgical interventions.
He also highlighted the economic impact of poor vision, saying lack of access to eyeglasses reduces the productivity of middle-aged workers by 25 to 30 per cent, while millions of students struggle academically due to vision problems.
“We want to ensure free and easy access to glasses for people of all ages,” the state minister said.
District-level diabetic eye screening
With non-communicable diseases increasing across the country, the government has decided to introduce diabetic retinopathy screening services at the district level.
The initiative aims to prevent irreversible vision loss among the growing number of people living with diabetes, Dr Muhit said.
He expressed hope that Bangladesh’s efforts through “health diplomacy” would provide a model for global health sector transformation.
