Implement IPCEC in health systems
IPCEC has the potential to overcome the challenges facing countries in
providing access to priority eye care services – such as shortages of
trained workforce, fragmented services and, at times, suboptimal
quality outcomes – and in ensuring equitable access for all people. A
health systems perspective is required, and recognition of the necessity
to integrate services and respond to people’s needs and preferences.
Recommended actions are:
Integrating eye care into national health strategic plans.
Strengthening eye care in PHC to improve access, and to adapt and
respond to rapidly changing population needs, including the
projected growth in the number of people with noncommunicable
eye conditions.
Increasing effective coverage of surgery of refractive error and
cataract – the leading causes of addressable vision impairment and
blindness.
Managing and delivering eye care services so that people receive a
continuum of interventions addressing promotion, prevention,
treatment, and rehabilitation across service delivery levels and sites.
Reinforcing the coordination of eye care services in relevant
programmes (e.g. diabetes, maternal child health, ageing); and
sectors (e.g. social, education and labour).
Ensuring that eye care workforce planning is an integral part of
health workforce planning.
Ensuring that health information systems include comprehensive
information about eye care to identify needs; to effectively plan
service delivery; and to monitor progress towards implementing
IPCEC and its impact at the population level.