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Enhancing and developing eye and vision care worldwide
An introduction to our work
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What is WCO?
An international optometric association of over 90 member
organisations, representing over 150,000 optometrists,
across six world regions.
World Council of Optometry
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Our Vision
WCO envisions a world where high quality eye health and vision care is accessible to all people.
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Our Mission
To facilitate the development of optometry around the world and support optometrists in promoting eye health and vision care as a human right through advocacy, education, policy development and humanitarian outreach.
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WCO’s Concept of Optometry
Optometry is a healthcare profession that is autonomous, educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and optometrists are the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.
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WCO minimum competencies for optometrists
For WCO the minimum competencies required for individuals to call themselves an optometrist are the broad competencies of dispensing, refracting, prescribing and the detection of disease/abnormality.
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What are the issues?
Over 285 million people worldwide live with visual impairment due to eye diseases or uncorrected refractive errors.
• 39 million blind
• 80% of visual impairment including blindness is avoidable
• 9 in 10 blind people live in low income countries
• 517 million affected by functional presbyopia (Holden, B et al, 2008)
Source: WHO, 2010
Source: Global estimates of visual impairment:
2010
© Pascolini, D. and Mariotti, S., 2011
Global causes of visual impairment(including blindness)
Childhood blindness
1%
Diabetic Retinopathy
1%
Corneal Opacity1%
Trachoma1%
Age-related Macular
Degeneration1%
Glaucoma2%
Undetermined
18%
Uncorrected Refractive
Errors42%
Cataract33%
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Our objectives
• The enhancement and development of primary eye and vision care by optometrists
• The promotion of high standards of education and practice whilst promoting international co-ordination of optometrists
• The provision of support to aid programmes directed at the provision of eye and vision care to societies in need
• The promotion of the advancement of the science of optometry
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Organisational structure
Governing Board
Education Committee
Legislation, Registration and
Standards Committee
Public Health and
Development Committee
Fellowship
Committee
Membership
Committee
Executive Committee
AdvocacyCommitte
e
Secretariat
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An overview of our work
Education
• Maintaining and developing current standards of optometric education through guidelines developed by the Education committee:“Curricular Support Elements for an Optometry Programme”
• Updated list of schools of optometry:www.worldoptometry.org/en/schools-of-optometry/index.cfm
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An overview of our work
Policy and legislation
• Stand alone refraction position paper www.worldoptometry.org/en/what-we-do/position-papers.cfm
• Global Competencies based model
• Conferences
• Under the guidance of the Legislation,
Regulation and Standards Committee
A containable problem
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Scope of Practice Questionnaire
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Understanding how optometry and optics are developing in the world:
www.worldoptometry.org/sop
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An overview of our work
Public Health
• Global Public Health survey
• Supporting the development of human resources in Africa and Asia
• Leading WCO’s Advocacy Committee
• Under the guidance of the Public
Health Committee
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An overview of our work
Advocacy
• Supporting the recognition and regulation of optometry across the world as a Board member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)
• 22 WCO members supported the Brazilian Council of Optometry and Optics on their lobbying
efforts
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An overview of our work
Channelling resources into charity work
• The World Optometry Foundation (WOF) was established by WCO to finance projects that support our mission.
• WOF is a founding partner of Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), the only global fundraising initiative targeted at preventing blindness due to uncorrected refractive errors.
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WCO’s strategic partners
• World Health Organization (WHO) WCO is the only global optometric body in official relationship with WHO.
• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) www.iapb.org WCO is represented at the Global Board of IAPB and in various of its committees.
• Optometry Giving Sight (OGS)www.givingsight.org
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WCO membership benefits
• Access to a worldwide optometric network
• Opportunity to participate in WCO committees
• Be part of a global movement to support the development of optometry
• Contribute to setting and maintaining world standards of education and practice
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WCO membership benefits
• Support the implementation of the WHO Global Plan of Action 2014-2019
• Access to high quality conferences and events
• Contribute to the development of WCO’s advocacy agenda
• Promote your activities through WCO communications
• Access to the WCO Fellowship programme fund
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