As noncommunicable disease rates climb worldwide, vision loss remains an underrecognized but pressing public health challenge. Diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease can lead to serious eye conditions, while vision impairment, in turn, compounds the burden of chronic disease, limits healthy aging, and increases costs for families and health systems. As populations age and chronic disease rates rise, the burden of vision loss is expected to grow by more than 60 percent by 2050, placing additional strain on families, communities, and health systems. Today, more than 2.2 billion people are living with vision impairment or blindness—yet in at least 1 billion cases, it could have been prevented or remains untreated.

Public Health Pathways for Vision Loss Prevention  explores how vision loss intersects with chronic disease and aging populations, with case studies from the United States, Germany, Japan, and China. The report highlights shared challenges and outlines four priority actions for policymakers, health leaders, and community stakeholders: adopting people-centered approaches to eye health, investing in research and innovation, improving health literacy, and promoting healthy behaviors.

By embedding vision health into chronic disease prevention and whole-person care, health systems can deliver more sustainable, effective solutions that strengthen public health worldwide.