As one of the nation's foremost public health agencies, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) can serve a critical role in promoting vision health. CDC has a history of collaborating with other agencies and organizations to address public health issues of national urgency at multiple levels and in multiple sectors. Integrating vision health with these ongoing efforts is a key, cost-effective approach to enhancing vision health.
Blindness and vision impairment are major public health problems causing a substantial human and economic toll on individuals and society including significant suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life for millions of people. More than 3.4 million (3%) Americans 40 years and older are either blind or are visually impaired and millions more are at risk for developing vision impairment and blindness. Vision impairment often affects people’s ability to drive, read, learn, watch television, or simply attend to common household or personal tasks. Reduced vision among mature adults has been shown to result in social isolation, increased risk of falling and resultant hip fractures, depression, family stress, and ultimately a greater tendency to be disabled or to die prematurely.
As one of the nation's foremost public health agencies, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) can serve a critical role in promoting vision health. CDC has a history of collaborating with other agencies and organizations to address public health issues of national urgency at multiple levels and in multiple sectors. Integrating vision health with these ongoing efforts is a key, cost-effective approach to enhancing vision health.
