Program Title

Visual Health

Bureau (Office)

Degenerative Disease Office (DDO), National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC)

Briefer

National health program implemented by the Degenerative Disease Office with strong collaboration with NGO's (National Committee for Sight Prevention) and other government agencies for the elimination of avoidable blindness.

Target population

Older persons / Working-age group / Adolescents and Schoolchildren

Area of Coverage

Nationwide

Mandate

1. Local Policy:

• Department Order No. 73-B s., 2001 (Vision 2020 - Philippine Initiative "The Right to Sight")
• Proclamation No. 40 (Declaring the month of August every year as "Sight Saving Month")
• R.A. 6759 (An Act Declaring August 1 Every Year as "White Cane Safety Day" in the Philippines and for other purposes)

2. International Policy:

• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness 6th General Assembly, September 5-10, 1999, Beijing, China - the Philippines is a signatory in the Global Elimination of Avoidable Blindness: Vision 2020 - The Right to Sight.

Vision

Healthy vision for every Filipino through eye health promotion and disease prevention.

Mission

To eliminate all avoidable blindness by prevention and controlling diseases through the development of human resource, infrastructure, and appropriate technology.

Goals

A commuinty (province) having a blindness prevalence rate of less than 1.0%.