at home has been insignificant and CAO wants
to work with the federal government and other
stakeholders to meet its international commitment.
Q. Should the Canadian government do more to
ensure everyone has access to vision care?
A. CAO collaborated with other stakeholders to
develop the Federal Role Paper on Eye Health and
Vision Care, which speaks to the emerging crisis in
eye health, one component of which is a lack of
access to vision care, especially for young people,
seniors and the Indigenous. There are a number
of reasons for the lack of access (workforce supply,
public awareness, availability and regularity of
services - particularly in rural and remote areas -
affordability, etc.) and CAO is working with stake-
holders and governments to enhance access
to eye health and vision care.
Q. Why is it important to mark World Sight
Day in Canada?
A. 5.5 million Canadians are living with vision-
threatening conditions and that figure is expected
to increase by 29% over the next decade. Vision
loss has the highest direct health-care costs of any
disease category in Canada. By 2032, vision loss
is expected to cost more than $30 billion annu-
ally. Just 1% of the total expenditures on vision
loss is invested in post-vision rehabilitation
therapy. These are stark statistics, but we need
to mark World Sight Day in Canada to remind
us that vision health is a public health priority and
that we have a collective responsibility to create
a culture of eye health as part of overall health
here at home.
Proudly Supporting
Independent
CANADIAN
EYE CARE
PROFESSIONALS
with buying group benefi ts
since 1988
Ad_1.indd 1
www.theopticalgroup.ca
1.800.263.0010
17-05-31 9:40 AM