World Sight Day 2006

Speech for

The Honourable Tony Clement,

Minister of Health
and
Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for
Northern Ontario

World Sight Day 2006

October 4, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario

Check against delivery.

Introduction

Thank you, Penny [Hartin], for those kind words of introduction.

First, let me just say how pleased I am to join you this afternoon as we prepare for next week's international celebration of World Sight Day.

I am particularly delighted by the presence of Drs. Buhrmann and Cruess, and so many other distinguished leaders in the field of eyesight and vision loss. People who have devoted their careers to the prevention of blindness, to the care and treatment of eyesight problems, and to advocacy on behalf of those who cannot see.

In Canada, we are especially fortunate to have Lindsay's [O'Connor] coalition represent the interests and concerns of the blind, here and around the world. A powerful coalition comprising organizations like his own Christian Blind Mission International, Penny's World Blind Union, Operation Eyesight, professional associations for optometrists and ophthalmologists and, of course, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

On behalf of Canada's new government, I want to applaud your selfless dedication to a vital cause: To raise awareness of the challenges faced by the visually impaired. To explore better ways to prevent eyesight loss. And to ensure that the simple and accessible measures used in developed nations to strengthen and restore sight are shared by others less fortunate around the globe.

Putting an end to preventable vision loss within the next 14 years is the goal of VISION 2020 – The Right To Sight, your admirable international coalition.

A goal as laudable as it is ambitious. Yet one that should be within reach, if governments, health professionals and non-governmental organizations are truly committed.

Context

And we should be committed, because the challenge is clear and compelling.

Vision loss is a problem of staggering proportions, affecting more than 160 million people around the world. And many more cannot see – for no better reason than that they have no access to eyeglasses.

In Canada, the problem is less about a shortage of glasses than about demographic change. Already, more than 600,000 people have impaired eyesight. And the numbers will only grow with our aging population.

We'll see more and more cases of macular degeneration and glaucoma. And rising rates of diabetes, especially in Aboriginal populations, will be accompanied by an escalating number of people suffering from retinal deterioration.

It is profoundly sad when a child is deprived of the chance to experience the world in the same rich way as those blessed with the gift of sight.

For adults, blindness can bring poverty and social exclusion, not to mention the strain on family and friends.

And for the elderly, vision loss can take away years of independence, and spark depression, falls, physical injuries and other unseen dangers.

All this carries an economic toll as well, with health care costs and lost productivity in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

And yet, it doesn't have to be this way – at least not for everybody. Three of every four cases of blindness in the developing world could be prevented through proper preventative measures and treatment.

And more than a hundred million people could see – with nothing more complicated than a pair of glasses, some special optical devices, or other rudimentary assistive materials like large-print books.

Personal commitment

This is why I have been such a staunch supporter of efforts to address vision loss, both at home and abroad.

For instance, I have been a very public admirer of the work of ORBIS Canada and its Flying Eye Hospital.

ORBIS is about teams of health professionals and others with strong humanitarian streaks who travel to developing nations delivering training, public health education and better access to eye care.

The idea is to boost the skills, knowledge and resources on the ground, so that the local community can keep up the good work, long after the ORBIS plane has left for its next destination.

Indeed, I have had the pleasure of volunteering for ORBIS Canada, using my contacts to help raise funds and bring more members of the ophthalmic community into this excellent organization.

I strongly believe that the international community can make a real difference in preventing and addressing vision loss for so many people. And even the most modest investments are rewarded with tremendous payoffs in terms of enhanced independence and quality of life.

For these reasons, I have also been a great admirer of your VISION 2020: Right to Sight coalition. And it's why I was most pleased when Canada joined other WHO member countries to support the coalition's blindness-prevention resolution at the 2003 World Health Assembly.

Government initiatives

I am gratified to say that Canada is following through with a number of important steps to address vision loss.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is addressing eyesight loss from a chronic disease perspective, since blindness is a leading complication of diabetes. And with support from the CNIB, the Agency's Division of Aging and Seniors has also recently begun a multi-year project to improve public awareness regarding vision loss and vision rehabilitation – the goal here is to help give seniors the tools they need to manage their own vision health.

To help address vision loss in our aboriginal population, Health Canada's Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative provides retinal screening on-reserve, while the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program provides vision care benefits to First Nations.

In terms of research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research supports work that will help us better understand the functioning of human vision and other senses, while contributing to our ability to develop more effective prevention, screening, and treatment strategies.

Of course, we don't work alone. We count on the partnership of people like you, to bring real improvements to the communities you serve.

And so, for instance, the Public Health Agency and Health Canada have been working closely with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, particularly through our Canadian Diabetes Strategy.

We also work with the National Coalition for Vision Health, with an important think-tank meeting coming up next winter.

You may recall that Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments agreed on the 2004 Health Accord that calls for the development of evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times for sight restoration – along with cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging procedures and joint replacement.

Our government has also adopted sight restoration as a priority for a patient wait-times guarantee. The provinces and territories, for their part, have undertaken to significantly cut wait times for cataract surgery over the next six months.

And I am happy to report that even more tangible progress is being made. Between August 2005 and last January, for instance, the median wait time for cataract surgery in Ontario went down by 21 percent.

And last month, the Ontario government pledged more money in order to shrink wait times for sight restoration surgery to just two months.

Conclusion

As I look around this hall, I see plenty of pairs of spectacles. Many of you, I expect, find yourself resenting the need for corrective lenses – at least some of the time. I know I do. Glasses are a pain in sports – and we all know what it's like to come inside on a cold winter day.

But, in the global scheme of things, we truly are blessed. Few Canadians lack access to glasses or contact lenses to restore normal sight. And if our vision deteriorates further, we can seek help – including medications, special assistive devices and even surgery.

We can also take comfort in the knowledge that there are many supports in Canadian society – buildings and infrastructure that are designed for accessibility.

And, most important, the many selfless people and organizations like yours, lending practical aid and support to the visually impaired, and advocating for their interests.

Of course, there's more we can do. And with our aging population, there's more we must do.

But, at the same time, we cannot forget those who lack the advantages we enjoy. The millions of children and adults around the world who are deprived of even the most rudimentary eye care and sight restoration measures.

World Sight Day is about those people. And it's about our collective capacity to make a difference.

Thank you.