Congressional Briefing UV and our Nation’s Vision

Prevent Blindness America is proud to host a Congressional Briefing this Wednesday September 29 UV and Our Nation's Vision. Please stop by our website www.sunandvision.org for more information about UV and our Nation’s Vision.

For everyone in the Washington DC region we hope that you will join us on September 29, 2010 for this exciting Congressional Briefing. For everyone who is not in DC we will be posting video and presentations from this important briefing on our website: www.sunandvision.org

Stay posted for more information in the coming weeks.

Andrea Densham
Vice President, Public Health & Government Affairs

PBA Eye CAN Webinars in September!

Join Prevent Blindness America (PBA) for a webinar on Eye CAN Advocacy Network (Eye CAN) training on Tuesday, September 28 or Thursday, September 30.

PBA is excited to announce two opportunities for you to participate in advocacy webinars this month. Join us as you learn how to advocate for vision and eye health this fall.

Attend and learn about advocacy on September 28 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern (EST) or on September 30 at 8:00 p.m. EST. To sign up and find out more, go to:
http://www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

Ever wondered how you can get involved in advocacy? PBA will walk you through the easy ways you can become an advocate - without flying to Washington, DC! Learn how to schedule a district visit, what to expect and how to educate your Member and staff about vision and eye health. Find out about town hall meetings - nearly every Member of Congress has them in their district during Congressional recesses. PBA will give you the tips you need to be heard at a town hall meeting!

There will be plenty of time to ask questions, and supporting materials will be provided after the call. Join PBA Legislative Staff and PBA's Washington, DC representatives for an informative webinar that will teach YOU how to advocate for vision and eye health issues.

Can't join us? Don't worry! The webinar will be posted online on our advocacy page: http://www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

Check out PBA's Eye CAN Advocacy Webinar Podcast

Prevent Blindness America held our summer Eye CAN advocacy webinar training on August 5 in preparation of advocacy visits this August. Webinar participants gained the tools needed to advocate for vision and eye health at home in their Congressional districts.

Still interested in being an advocate? Check out www.preventblindness.org/advocacy to view the webinar podcast. The webinar will walk you through easy ways you can become an advocate - in your home towns! Learn how to schedule a district visit, what to expect on a visit, and how to educate your Member and staff about vision and eye health.

Find out about town hall meetings - nearly every Member of Congress has them in their district over the summer and fall. Read our tips on how to get heard at a town hall meeting.

To learn more about Prevent Blindness America and our advocacy goals for Congress, go to www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

Thank you for being a voice for vision!

Join PBA for an Advocacy Training Webinar this week!

Join Prevent Blindness America (PBA) for a webinar on Eye Care Advocacy Network (Eye CAN) training on Thursday, August 5.

PBA is excited to announce two opportunities for you to participate in a webinar on summer legislative activities. Join us as you learn about how to advocate for vision and eye health over the Congressional August recess.

Attend and learn about advocacy on August 5, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern or at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. To sign up and find out more, go to: www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

Ever wondered how you can get involved in advocacy? PBA will walk you through the easy ways you can become an advocate - without flying to Washington, DC! Learn how to schedule a district visit, what to expect and how to educate your Member and staff about vision and eye health. Find out about town hall meetings - nearly every Member of Congress has them in their district over the summer. PBA will give you the tips you need to be heard at a town hall meeting!

Again, PBA is hosting the Eye CAN advocacy webinar on August 5, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern and again at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. To sign up and find out more, go to: www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

There will be plenty of time to ask questions, and supporting materials will be provided after the call. Join PBA legislative staff and PBA's Washington, DC representatives for an informative webinar that will teach YOU how to advocate for vision and eye health issues!

Can't join us? Don't worry! The webinar will be posted online - check back at www.preventblindness.org/advocacy.

Funding Announcement: 2011 BRFSS Survey Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) would like to announce an opportunity for states to receive funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The BRFSS is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. The first optional vision module was introduced in 2005. The Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module contains nine questions to assess prevalence of self-reported visual impairment, eye disease, eye injury, access to eye care, lack of eye care insurance, and eye examination among individuals aged 40 years and older.

Through generous support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PBA and NACDD will fund between 8-10 states to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS. Pending the availability of additional funding, more states may be able to receive funds to implement this module. We encourage all states to apply and take advantage of this important tool for measuring and managing your state’s vision and eye health.

Instructions to apply for funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS:

Funding Request: Please provide a funding request for the cost of implementing the vision impairment and access to eye care model. Include a budget narrative outlining the associated costs and expenses. Funding amounts will vary between individual states. Please limit your budget and budget narrative to one page.

Narrative: Please provide a brief statement describing how measuring the state-level vision and eye disease burden will allow for the development and dissemination of targeted public health strategies to address these and associated issues. Please limit your narrative to no more than one double-spaced page with one inch margins and 12 point font.

Due Date: 5pm EST Friday, July 9th, 2010

Submission: Please email your application to Nita Patel, Director of Public Health at Prevent Blindness America, at npatel@preventblindness.org

Announcements: Funding announcements will be made in August 2010.

PBA and NACDD look forward to your state’s interest in the improvement of vision and eye health surveillance at state and local levels by including the optional Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in your 2011 BRFSS survey.

Download the BRFSS Funding announcement flyer.

Don’t Fry Day: Why Sun Exposure Concerns Everyone

“Sun exposure and African Americans?” – Well, I can say that as a young African American, it wasn’t perceived as an issue. Sure we spent countless hours outdoors – doing the things that Americans do in the summer: picnics, beach trips, playing baseball, etc. I heard about skin cancer and the perils of tanning. But we didn’t set out to the beach to tan; we went to enjoy the surf and the family time.

It wasn’t until I started working for the Stratospheric Protection Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that I learned a few other reasons to wear hats and sunglasses. Because the ozone layer is not expected to recover until about 2065, more ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is able to get through the ozone layer. UV radiation is a carcinogen just like tobacco smoke and asbestos, and it’s a primary risk factor for skin cancer and cataracts.

Read More HERE

CDC Report: Smoking Kills over 440,000 Each Year

This week's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality report states that 443,000 U.S. residents die from cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke exposure each year. The report states that smoking costs the United States $96 billion in medical costs annually. A copy of the CDC report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5916a3.htm

Smoking increases an individual's risk for eye disease, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. AMD affects the back of the eye and can cause central vision to become blurry or wavy and cause a blind spot in the center of a person's vision. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. It is linked with diabetes, and anyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, blocking or changing the way light passes through the eye.

Prevent Blindness America provides detailed information on these eye diseases on our website, including risk factors and what you can do to prevent these diseases and protect your eyesight. For more information on eye disease, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/eye_problems/

Many states have taken action to ban and restrict smoking as it relates to public health. To find your state's smoking laws, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States

President Obama Signs Final Elements of Health Care Reform

Today, President Obama signed the final elements of health care reform into law. This historic legislation included a number of important provisions that impact vision and eye health. "This is truly an historic day," said Hugh Parry, Prevent Blindness America’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Prevent Blindness America is pleased that the hard work of Senator Kay Hagan and our advocates at Prevent Blindness North Carolina resulted in the addition of vision health care services to those provided in the school-based health clinics program. This is a significant victory for the vision and eye health for our nation’s students and remains unchanged with the submitted amendment.”

Senator Hagan’s amendment combined with the amendment of Senator Bernie Sanders that vision is an an essential health benefit within pediatric services works to bridge the gap in vision and eye health services for children across the county. Prevent Blindness America stands ready to promote and encourage children and their families to access important vision and eye health services.

During this discussion of health care reform Prevent Blindness America has focused on the critical importance of integrating vision and eye health into the core of health care system. It is heartening that the health reform law provides children the essential vision and eye care services whether it be in school or in their communities. We now urge Congress to appropriate funds to support the important work of expanding vision and eye health services to all adult and children in the US.

Thanks to everyone who shared your stories and encouraged Congress to ensure health care reform included vision and eye health services.

Andrea Densham

This week is Prevent Blindness America's Eyes on Capitol Hill Week

Join our Capitol Call-in and Be a Voice for Vision!

Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.

Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:

1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.

2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.

3. Support increased FY 2011 funding for the NEI at the National Institutes of Health. These funds will continue to bolster essential efforts to identify the underlying causes of eye disease and vision loss, improve early detection and diagnosis of eye disease and vision loss, and advance prevention, treatment efforts and health information dissemination.

4. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.

For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a

Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!

Join our Capitol Call-in March 9, 2010!

Join our Capitol Call-in and Be a Voice for Vision!

Prevent Blindness America is hosting our fifth annual Eyes on Capitol Hill advocacy campaign March 9-12, 2010. We start the week off with a national Capitol Call-in on March 9. This event is a unique opportunity for our advocates across the country to get involved and educate lawmakers about vision and eye health.

Prevent Blindness America respectfully calls upon Congress to take these actions to help prevent blindness and preserve sight:

1. Increase FY 2011 funding to $5 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Vision Health Initiative. This level of investment will help sustain and expand efforts to address the growing public health threat of preventable vision loss among older American's low-income and underserved populations.

2. Request $1.2 million in FY 2011 to support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's (MCHB) National Universal Vision Screening for Young Children's Coordinating Center (Center). This level of funding will support: 1) a broader partnership and expanded coordination between the Center, the state agencies that administer the Title V MCHB Block Grant, and other state public health entities to improve the early identification of vision problems in children, and 2) a consensus conference involving MCHB, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Eye Institute, and the Office of Head Start to establish national standards for vision screening in young children.

3. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress who work collaboratively to raise awareness among their colleagues and Congressional staff about: the growing number of Americans at risk for age-related eye diseases; the need for greater understanding of the personal risk of vision loss and ways in which eyesight can be preserved and protected; and the treatment and rehabilitation services that are needed to address eye health and vision loss.

For more information about Prevent Blindness America's Capitol Call-in and to obtain your Representative and Senators' phone numbers, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?alertId=175&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr004=rjbqd84bu2.app43a

Thank you for being a Voice for Vision!

PBA President's Day Advocacy Week

Thank you for participating in our 2010 advocacy efforts and our President's Day Congressional District visits February 16-19, 2010. As you know, in honor of the President's Day holiday on February 15, we are asking you to meet with your Representative and Senators while they are home on recess from Congress next week.

Prevent Blindness America is advocating for FY 2011 resources to support and strengthen programs to preserve sight, research the causes of eye disease and vision loss, improve early detection and diagnosis of eye disease and vision loss, and advance prevention and treatment efforts for patients.

Share your story of vision and eye health with your Member of Congress! Please help Prevent Blindness America advocate for vision and eye health by sharing your story with your Representative and Senators. Eye and vision health issues affect all Americans.

For meeting tips and materials, go to:
http://www.preventblindness.org/news/releases/012110_2.html.

And thank you for being an eye and vision health advocate!

Prevent Blindness America 2010 Federal Legislative Agenda

Each year, Prevent Blindness America advocates for vision and eye health at the state and federal levels. Our federal legislative agenda for 2010 is as follows:

1. Provide $5 million in FY 2011 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vision Health Initiative. Additional FY 2011 resources will support: strengthened state-based public health efforts to address vision and eye health; development of additional evidence-based public health interventions that improve eye health among the nation's most at-risk and underserved; and expanded initiatives to address the growing problem of diabetes among children and the associated impacts of diabetic retinopathy, which can develop later in life.
2. Support increased FY 2011 funding for the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health. These funds will continue to bolster essential efforts to identify the underlying causes of eye disease and vision loss, improve early detection and diagnosis of eye disease and vision loss, and advance prevention, treatment efforts and health information dissemination.
3. Join the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC). The CVC is a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress dedicated to strengthening and stimulating a national dialogue on the importance of vision health. The CVC is co-chaired by Representatives Gene Green (D-TX), David Price (D-NC), Patrick Tiberi (R-OH), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

Get involved in Prevent Blindness America's 2010 advocacy efforts! Go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/news/releases/012110_2.html

Get Involved in Prevent Blindness America's 2010 Advocacy Efforts

Prevent Blindness America is kicking off our 2010 advocacy efforts, asking you to take part in Congressional meetings at home. In honor of the President Day's holiday on February 15, we are asking you to reach out to your Representative and Senators and request a meeting in their district offices that week while they are home on recess from Congress. We have prepared a template meeting request letter for you to download and personalize as well as a tips sheet for your meeting. You can find both documents at http://www.preventblindness.org. Download the meeting request letter, personalize it with your information, and send it to your Member of Congress today to request a meeting during the week of February 16-19!

Won't you share your story of vision and eye health with your Member of Congress? Please help Prevent Blindness America advocate for vision and eye health by sharing your story with your Representative and Senators. Eye and vision health issues affect all Americans.

For more information about our advocacy efforts, go to http://www.preventblindness.org or call (800) 331-2020.

Join your local Prevent Blindness America affiliate's advocacy efforts! To find an affiliate in your state, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/about/affiliates.html.

Thank you, and keep checking our website for more information on these important visits, including a powerpoint training document and a template thank you letter you can send after your successful meeting.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and Prevent Blindness America seeks to educate the public on what they can do to maintain their eye and vision health.

Glaucoma, a disease that causes a gradual degeneration of cells that make up the optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness in the world and the leading cause of blindness in African American and Hispanic populations in the United States. There are nearly 2.3 million Americans over the age of 40 suffering from glaucoma, and glaucoma costs the U.S. economy $2.86 billion every year in direct medical costs for outpatient, inpatient and prescription drug services.

Besides age, other risk factors include sex and race. Glaucoma is more common in women, but by age 65, the prevalence of glaucoma becomes more comparable between the sexes. Hispanic, Caucasian and African American populations are more susceptible to open angle glaucoma while acute angle-closure is more common in certain Asian populations and Americans of Asian descent, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

More information about glaucoma can be found at:
http://www.preventblindness.org/glaucoma/

To view a full copy of the January press release, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/news/releases/011410_2.html

Happy New Year from Prevent Blindness America!

In this new year, Prevent Blindness America will continue to advocate for eye and vision health, and we are pleased to join our patient advocates in conversations about access, coverage, research and legislative developments in eye health.

As we roll out our 2010 legislative agenda, we are asking you to join us in advocacy activities through the United States. In February, in honor of the President's Day holiday on February 15, we are asking advocates across the country to make visits to the Congressional District offices that week. Prevent Blindness America will provide you with a meeting request letter, tips for making a Congressional visit and talking points for this meeting so you can advocate for eye and vision health. Materials will be posted on-line the week of January 11, 2010, and can be found at http://www.preventblindness.org.

Thank you again for your participation and for advocating for eye and vision health. Stay tuned to our website for continued updates, including information on an upcoming Capitol Call-in Day!

Heatlh Care Reform Update

Happy Holidays from the Prevent Blindness America Government Relations Team!

Health Care Reform Update

In the first time since 1895 the US Senate gathered for a vote on Christmas Eve. The Senate voted 60-39 at 7 am Christmas Eve morning to pass its version health care reform. Now that Senate has finished its work Congressional and White House leadership will be gathering to reconcile the two bills. Early next year we will have an analysis of both bills and all vision and eye health related items.

Healthy People 2020 Public Comment Period Coming to End

The deadline for public comments on Healthy People 2020 is fast approaching – December 31, 2009. We encourage you to communicate to your advocates via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter on the importance of providing comment on this important process. Attached is a draft communication for you to share.

In the coming weeks we will continue to update you on many events going on in Washington as well as provide many new opportunities for you to add your voice to many ensuring vision and eye health are a core part of our national health agenda.

Wishing all a very happy new year!
Andrea Densham

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020

LANGUAGE TO SEND TO ADVOCATES REGARDING COMMENT PERIOD

SPEAK OUT: IT'S TIME TO INCLUDE Vision And Eye Health IN AMERICA'S HEALTH PRIORITIES!

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently asking for public comment on the development of Healthy People 2020 (HP 2020), which will serve as the federal government's blueprint for a healthier nation for the decade between 2010 and 2020. Healthy People is a crucial component of attracting attention, funding, and other resources for improving the nation’s vision and eye health.

Prevent Blindness America is asking advocates like you to step up and speak out about the importance of vision and eye health issues by participating in the public comment period, which closes on December 31, 2009. The Department is counting on our community to comment on the need for a focus on vision and eye health in 2010 and beyond, so make your voice heard!

To comment please go to http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/comments.

Prevent Blindness America suggests that comments include a short statement on the following:

• Ensure the inclusion of vision objective 1 “Increase the proportion of preschool children aged 5 years and under who receive vision screening.”

• Include questions regarding vision and eye health on all major federal health surveys.

If you wish to comment specifically on particular target areas or objectives, please see specific suggested comments below.

More information about each of these points is available from Prevent Blindness America. For assistance with any comment please contact Jennifer Pennock at Prevent Blindness America at Jpennock@preventblindness.org or 312-363-6037.

Prevent Blindness America supports the first three objectives, which have been retained “as is” from Healthy People 2010:

HP 2020-1
Increase the proportion of preschool children aged 5 years and under who receive vision screening.

Potential Comments

• More than 12.1 million school-age children, or one in four, have some form of vision problem, yet only about 21 percent of preschool-age children have their vision screened, and only an estimated 14 percent of children receive eye examinations before entering kindergarten or first grade.

• The Partnership for Prevention, in reviewing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s listing of recommended clinical preventive services, has found that pediatric vision screening is inexpensive, treatment is effective and it improves the quality of life. The Task Force recommends screening to detect amblyopia, strabismus and defects in visual acuity in children younger than five years of age.

• According to the CDC, impaired vision can affect a child’s cognitive, emotional, neurologic and physical development by potentially limiting the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed.

• Prevent Blindness America acknowledges that professional eye examinations are the “gold standard” of eye care and should always be encouraged, but also believes that vision screening is an appropriate and essential element of a strong bublic health approach to children’s vision care. The purpose of vision screening is to increase the number of children in need of care who ultimately receive eye exams.

HP 2020-2
Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents aged 17 years and under.

Potential Comments

• Myopia, or near-sightedness, occurs in one in four individuals in the United States. In children, myopia is found in 2 percent of those entering first grade and 15 percent of those entering high school.

• Prevent Blindness America is pleased to note the reduction in the overall cases of blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents aged 17 years and under during the Healthy People 2010 years, and supports this objective remaining to further reduce this number.

HP 2020-3
Reduce occupational eye injuries

Potential Comments

• Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day.

• About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from.

• Of the total amount of work-related injuries, 10-20 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss.

• Experts believe that the correct eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90% of eye injuries in accidents.

Prevent Blindness America supports the remaining vision objectives, which have been “retained but modified” from Healthy People 2010:

HP 2020-4
Increase the proportion of adults who have a comprehensive eye examination, including dilation, within the last 2 years and/or by age 45.

Potential Comments

• Many eye diseases and disorders have no symptoms or early warning signs. A dilated eye exam can detect changes in the retina or optic nerve or both.

• Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent vision loss in more than 90 percent of patients with diabetic retinopathy.

HP 2020-5
Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due to refractive errors.

Potential Comments

• One in two Americans has a refractive error or defect that can be corrected to provide sharper vision.

• 44 million Americans over the age of 40 have a refractive error (myopia or hyperopia).

• Further data is needed to determine racial, gender and disability disparities in refractive errors.

HP 2020-6
Reduce Visual Impairment.

Potential Comments

• 4.6 million Americans over the age of 40 are visually impaired or blind.

• 44 million Americans over the age of 40 have a refractive error (myopia or hyperopia).

• 2 million Americans over the age of 50 have age-related macular degeneration.

• 22 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataract.

• 4.5 million Americans over the age of 40 have diabetic retinopathy.

• 2.3 million Americans over the age of 40 have glaucoma.

• The annual cost of adult vision problems in the U.S. comes to approximately $51.4 billion.

• As the 9 million baby boomers with vision loss continue to age, the number of seniors with vision loss will continue to grow substantially.

• Of Americans who have vision loss and are 25 years of age and over, 4.5 million have less than a high school diploma, 6.0 million have a high school diploma or a GED, 5.4 million have some college education, and 3.6 million have a bachelor's degree or higher.

• Approximately 5.7 million people with vision loss in the U.S. have a family income of less than $20,000.

HP 2020-7
Increase the use of personal protective eyewear in recreational activities and hazardous situations around the home.

Potential Comments

• Each year in the United States, there are approximately 600,000 documented sports-related eye injuries, over 42,000 of which require emergency room attention and an estimated 13,500 of which result in a permanent loss of sight.

• Approximately 72 percent of sports eye injuries occur in individuals younger than 25 years, and approximately 43 percent occur in individuals younger than 15 years.

• More than 90% of all eye injuries can be prevented with the use of appropriate protective eyewear.

• Accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year.

• Ninety percent of these home eye injures can be prevented through understanding, safety practices and the use of proper eye protection.

• Children suffer a disproportionate number of eye injuries, sustaining 27 to 52 percent of all ocular traumas.

HP 2020-8

Increase vision rehabilitation.

Potential Comments

• With the help of specially trained rehabilitation teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, low-vision specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists, individuals can learn the essential skills for living with vision loss.

• Many low-vision optical and adaptive devices are available to help individuals make the best use of their remaining vision.

View the Healthy People 2020 vision objectives on-line at: http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/Objectives/TopicArea.aspx?id=48&TopicArea=Vision.

SPEAK OUT: IT'S TIME TO INCLUDE Vision And Eye Health IN AMERICA'S HEALTH PRIORITIES!

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently asking for public comment on the development of Healthy People 2020 (HP 2020), which will serve as the federal government's blueprint for a healthier nation for the decade between 2010 and 2020. Healthy People is a crucial component of attracting attention, funding, and other resources to improving the nation’s vision and eye health.

Prevent Blindness America is asking advocates like you to step up and speak out about the importance of vision and eye health issues by participating in the public comment period, which closes on December 31, 2009. The Department is counting on our community to comment on the need for a focus on vision and eye health in 2010 and beyond, so make your voice heard!

To comment please go http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/Objectives/AddGeneralComment.aspx

Prevent Blindness America suggests that comments include a short statement on the following:

- Ensure the inclusion of vision objective 1 “Increase the proportion of preschool children aged 5 years and under who receive vision screening.”

-Include questions regarding vision and eye health on all major federal health surveys.

If you wish to comment specifically on particular target areas or objectives, you may do so at http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/Comments/default.asp. Please see specific suggested comments for each vision objective.

More information about each of these points is available from Prevent Blindness America for assistance with any comment please contact Jennifer Pennock at Prevent Blindness America, at Jpennock@preventblindness.org or 312-363-6037.

Prevent Blindness America supports the first three proposed vision objectives be retained “as is” from Healthy People 2010:

HP 2020-1
Increase the proportion of preschool children aged 5 years and under who receive vision screening.

Potential Comments

• More than 12.1 million school-age children, or one in four, have some form of vision problem, yet only about 21 percent of preschool-age children have their vision screened, and only an estimated 14 percent of children receive eye examinations before entering kindergarten or first grade.
• The Partnership for Prevention, in reviewing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s listing of recommended clinical preventive services, has found that pediatric vision screening is inexpensive, treatment is effective and it improves the quality of life. The Task Force recommends screening to detect amblyopia, strabismus and defects in visual acuity in children younger than five years of age.
• According to the CDC, impaired vision can affect a child’s cognitive, emotional, neurologic and physical development by potentially limiting the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed.
• Prevent Blindness America acknowledges that professional eye examinations are the “gold standard” of eye care and should always be encouraged, but also believes that vision screening is an appropriate and essential element of a strong public health approach to children’s vision care. The purpose of vision screening is to increase the number of children in need of care who ultimately receive eye exams.

HP 2020-2
Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents aged 17 years and under.

Potential Comments

• Myopia, or near-sightedness, occurs in one in four individuals in the United States. In children, myopia is found in 2 percent of those entering first grade and 15 percent of those entering high school.
• Prevent Blindness America is pleased to note the reduction in the overall cases of blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents aged 17 years and under during the Healthy People 2010 years, and supports this objective remaining to further reduce this number.

HP 2020-3
Reduce occupational eye injuries

Potential Comments

• Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. More than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day.
• About 1 in 10 injuries require one or more missed workdays to recover from.
• Of the total amount of work-related injuries, 10-20 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss.
• Experts believe that the correct eye protection could have lessened the severity or even prevented 90% of eye injuries in accidents.

The remaining vision objectives have been “retained but modified” from Healthy People 2010:

HP 2020-4
Increase the proportion of adults who have a comprehensive eye examination, including dilation, within the last 2 years and/or by age 45.

Potential Comments

• Many eye diseases and disorders have no symptoms or early warning signs. A dilated eye exam can detect changes in the retina or optic nerve or both.
• Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent vision loss in more than 90 percent of patients with diabetic retinopathy.

HP 2020-5
Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due to refractive errors.

Potential Comments

• One in two Americans has a refractive error or defect that can be corrected to provide sharper vision.
• 44 million Americans over the age of 40 have a refractive error (myopia or hyperopia).
• Further data is needed to determine racial, gender and disability disparities in refractive errors.

HP 2020-6
Reduce Visual Impairment.

Potential Comments

• 4.6 million Americans over the age of 40 are visually impaired or blind.
• 44 million Americans over the age of 40 have a refractive error (myopia or hyperopia).
• 2 million Americans over the age of 50 have age-related macular degeneration.
• 22 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataract.
• 4.5 million Americans over the age of 40 have diabetic retinopathy.
• 2.3 million Americans over the age of 40 have glaucoma.
• The annual cost of adult vision problems in the U.S. comes to approximately $51.4 billion.
• As the 9 million baby boomers with vision loss continue to age, the number of seniors with vision loss will continue to grow substantially.
• Of Americans who have vision loss and are 25 years of age and over, 4.5 million have less than a high school diploma, 6.0 million have a high school diploma or a GED, 5.4 million have some college education, and 3.6 million have a bachelor's degree or higher.
• Approximately 5.7 million people with vision loss in the U.S. have a family income of less than $20,000.

HP 2020-7
Increase the use of personal protective eyewear in recreational activities and hazardous situations around the home.

Potential Comments

• Each year in the United States, there are approximately 600,000 documented sports-related eye injuries, over 42,000 of which require emergency room attention and an estimated 13,500 of which result in a permanent loss of sight.
• Approximately 72 percent of sports eye injuries occur in individuals younger than 25 years, and approximately 43 percent occur in individuals younger than 15 years.
• More than 90% of all eye injuries can be prevented with the use of appropriate protective eyewear.
• Accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year.
• Ninety percent of these home eye injures can be prevented through understanding, safety practices and the use of proper eye protection.
• Children suffer a disproportionate number of eye injuries, sustaining 27 to 52 percent of all ocular traumas.

HP 2020-8
Increase vision rehabilitation.

Potential Comments

• With the help of specially trained rehabilitation teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, low-vision specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists, individuals can learn the essential skills for living with vision loss.
• Many low-vision optical and adaptive devices are available to help individuals make the best use of their remaining vision.

View the Healthy People 2020 vision objectives on-line at: http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/Objectives/TopicArea.aspx?id=48&TopicArea=Vision

November 14 is World Diabetes Day

November 14 is World Diabetes Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to 2005 figures. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes. It affects the tiny blood vessels of the retina. Diabetic retinopathy affects over 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older. Diabetes also increases the risk of other eye diseases such as cataract and glaucoma. Along with age-related macular degeneration, cataract and glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy contributes to an approximate annual cost to the U.S. of $35.4 billion. Persons diagnosed with diabetes should get a dilated eye exam annually.

For more information on diabetes and your eyes, go to:
http://www.preventblindness.org/diabetes/patcommunity/pat_community.htm

Prevent Blindness America Advocates for Eye and Vision Health

Prevent Blindness America is currently conducting key fall district visits to House and Senate Members who are crucial decision-makers about funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vision Health Initiative.

Since 2003, Prevent Blindness America and the CDC have been partners on a national vision health collaboration, aimed at strengthening and stimulating a public health effort to reduce and control vision problems in the United States. With funding from the CDC and assistance from other national vision partners, Prevent Blindness America is currently engaged in a multi-faceted national vision initiative, which will examine intervention models for identifying and treating individuals with potential vision disorders in both pediatric and adult populations.

At this time in our nation, when we are discussing health care reform, the Vision Health Initiative is a prime example of a successful public-private partnership serving Americans' health care needs through their eye and vision health. Half of all blindness can be prevented through education, early detection and treatment.

For more information about the CDC's Vision Health Initiative, go to http://www.cdc.gov./visionhealth/

For more information about Prevent Blindness America and your eye health, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/.

House Releases New Health Reform Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today a new health care reform bill today that includes a moderate version of the government-run public insurance plan option. The bill is a combined version of health reform legislation passed by the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor committees earlier this summer.

The bill could come to the House floor next week, after the special election on Tuesday, November 3. The full text of the legislation can be found at:
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

The Senate continues to work on merging the bills from the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Pensions and Labor (HELP) Committee.

Prevent Blindness America continues to monitor health care reform legislation in both the House and the Senate to ensure that vision and eye health remain components of any legislation moving forward. Tell your Member of Congress about the importance of vision and eye health! Got to: https://secure2.convio.net/pba/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=170