WHO launches eyecare toolkit

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a toolkit to help monitor eyecare services, with a set of core indicators to guide data collection and reporting.

The Routine Health Information Systems – Sensory Functions document will produce data to to support planning and decision-making in health policy, management and clinical care. It includes a sensory functions digital package and a module offering guidance on the analysis and use of routine health information systems for eyecare and hearing care.

Published by the WHO Vision and Eye Care & Ear and Hearing Care programmes, the aim is to support data collection and help countries meet the universal health coverage targets and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The indicators cover morbidity, patterns of quality for interventions, coverage of interventions and workforce distribution. They can be used to track progress on operational or strategic plans. The digital package uses open-source software developed by the University of Oslo.

The toolkit is aimed at people including national and regional authorities and decision-makers, eyecare programme managers, planners and partners and eyecare service managers at healthcare facilities.

It will help to answer key questions, including:

• What geographical areas have the highest or lowest density of eyecare workers?
• What are the most common eye/ear conditions?
• How effective is the treatment of eye/ear conditions?
• Do people in need of eye and ear care interventions have access to quality care?
• How many newborn babies are screened for congenital and neonatal eye conditions?

At least 1bn people have a near or distance vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed, the WHO says. Children with early onset severe vision impairment can experience lower levels of educational achievement, and in adults it often affects quality of life through lower productivity, decreased workforce participation and high rates of depression.