10 facts about blindness and visual impairment
October 2011
People who are visually impaired do not see well enough to perform everyday tasks, even with the aid of glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. Blindness, the most severe form of visual impairment, deprives people the ability to move about unaided.
Most forms of visual impairment and blindness can be avoided or can be readily treated or cured with well known and inexpensive measures.
This fact file highlights figures for blindness and visual impairment worldwide.
Related links
Events
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World Blood Donor Day
14 June 2012 -
Rio+20 – United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
20–22 June 2012 -
The XIXth International AIDS Conference
22–27 July 2012
Corporate resources
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The world health report
Report on global public health and key statistics -
World health statistics report
WHO's annual compilation of data from its Member States -
International travel and health
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International Health Regulations (IHR)
Global rules to enhance national, regional and global public health security