Understanding the Prevent Blindness Children’s Vision Health Map

Ophthalmology Times: Prevent Blindness Children’s Vision Health Map

Ophthalmology Times reports the debut of the Prevent Blindness Children’s Vision Health Map, an innovative, interactive tool that displays geographic variations in common children's vision problems, as well as issues concerning visual impairment and blindness.

This resource utilizes data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System and other research sources from NORC at the University of Chicago. Alarmingly, over 600,000 children in the US experience uncorrectable visual acuity loss, including more than 45,500 children who are blind. Early treatment of conditions like amblyopia and strabismus can be effective if detected in a timely manner.

Focus on Children's Eye Health

According to Donna Fishman, director of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, the map provides necessary data for identifying and addressing diverse eye health needs across various populations. This map will enable healthcare professionals and policymakers to better target the vision health issues affecting children.

• One in every 122 children in the United States suffers from uncorrectable vision loss.
• Girls have a 25% higher prevalence of vision loss compared to boys.
• Non-Hispanic Black children exhibit the highest rates of vision loss and blindness.

Advocacy for Policy Change

The data will assist in advancing the newly introduced Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act, aimed at providing vital funding for enhancing children's eye health initiatives.