BD eyes global standard eyecare: State Minister

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit on Wednesday said Bangladesh is set to reinforce its position as a global leader in eye healthcare through an ambitious national roadmap.

The roadmap focuses on expanding access to quality eye care, preventing avoidable blindness, and strengthening international collaboration.

The state minister made the remarks at a preparatory meeting “Special Roadmap for Strengthening Eye Care Services to Prevent Blindness and Reduce Vision Impairment in Bangladesh”, held at the conference room of the ministry.

He announced that Bangladesh will co-host the world’s first-ever Global Summit on Eye Health, underscoring the country’s growing role in advancing eye health reforms and global health diplomacy. 

“Bangladesh has agreed to serve as a co-host of the world’s first-ever Global Summit on Eye Health, a move that will showcase the country’s healthcare reforms on the international stage,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman, Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital Prof Dr A S M Quadir, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Bangladesh Dr Watin Alam, ARC Foundation Director Romana Haque, Research Associate Badruddin Saifi, along with leading eye health experts and representatives from international non-governmental organizations (INGOs).

Dr Muhit said that the government is formulating an integrated National Eye Care Plan in collaboration with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and national and international partners to ensure quality eye care services for people from urban centres to remote rural areas.

As part of the initiative, a National Stakeholder Workshop will be held next week, while the ‘SPEX 2030’ initiative is scheduled to be officially launched in mid-August, he added.

Highlighting three key priorities for the country’s eye healthcare sector, the state minister said more than one million people in Bangladesh are currently blind due to cataracts, making the rapid expansion of cataract surgery services a top government priority.

He also noted that millions of schoolchildren in rural areas are falling behind in their education because they lack access to eyeglasses, while reduced vision lowers the productivity of middle-aged working people by an estimated 25 to 30 percent. The government aims to ensure free and easy access to spectacles for people of all ages.

Dr Muhit further said the growing burden of diabetes in Bangladesh has increased the risk of vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. To address the challenge, the government has decided to introduce diabetic retinopathy screening services at least at the district level.