§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the incidence of glaucoma in developing countries; what assessment she has made of the cost of treating the condition; and if she will make a statement. [84628]
§ Clare ShortNo estimate for glaucoma incidence alone is available, and as treatments for the condition vary widely there is no reliable cost estimate per case. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that glaucoma, cataracts and trachoma account for more than 70 per cent. of the 36 million cases of blindness in the world. Nine out of ten of these cases are in the developing world. We have committed £400,000 to the WHO's Social Change and Mental Health work under which "Vision 2020—the Right to Sight" initiative falls, and which aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.