Eye Health Alliance Launches at 2019 CIIE to Build a Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment System with Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

To elevate the level of eye health diagnosis and treatment in China and support the development of the country’s eye health sector, the “Eye Health Alliance,” jointly initiated by numerous renowned ophthalmologists, medical institutions, and industry organizations at the Second China International Import Expo, was officially launched.

Prominent experts, including Professor Ning Guang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Head of the National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases; Professor Li Xiaoxin, Honorary Chairman of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and President-General of Xiamen Eye Center; Professor Sun Xinghuai, President-Elect of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and affiliated with the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University; and Professor Xu Xun, Head of the National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases and Vice Chairman of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, gathered at the “Eye Health Alliance” to jointly support China’s 13th Five-Year Plan for Eye Health.

In October 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first World Report on Vision, which revealed that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have impaired vision or are blind, with at least 1 billion of these cases being preventable or yet to be addressed.

Focusing on China, although phased achievements have been made in the development of eye health under the strong promotion of blindness prevention and treatment initiatives by governments at all levels, the six major ophthalmic diseases—cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, corneal diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and high myopia—still rank highest in incidence. These conditions are also the leading causes of blindness. According to statistics, there are currently approximately 6.7 million blind people in China, accounting for 18% of the world's total blind population, with an annual increase of up to 450,000 new cases. China remains the country with the largest number of individuals suffering from blindness and visual impairment worldwide.

Therefore, taking further practical and effective measures to mitigate blindness and visual impairment, improve the eye health of the population, and promote the development of ophthalmology in China has become a shared priority for relevant national authorities, ophthalmic research institutions, healthcare facilities, and clinical practitioners.

In fact, to address the challenges of eye health in China, the former National Health and Family Planning Commission issued the “Notice on the 13th Five-Year Plan for National Eye Health (2016–2020)” as early as 2016. The plan established ensuring universal access to basic ophthalmic medical services, progressively eliminating avoidable blindness and visual impairment, and improving the eye health of the population as the fundamental objectives of eye disease prevention and control efforts, while integrating these efforts into the overall planning of the healthcare service system.

“As Chinese society develops and informatization rapidly proliferates, eye health issues have become increasingly prominent. Relying solely on ophthalmologists for disease prevention and health education is insufficient; it is necessary to consolidate resources from all sectors to advance the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and health education of ocular diseases, thereby ensuring that everyone can enjoy bright vision and a high quality of life,” stated Professor Sun Xinghuai, President-Elect of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and affiliated with the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University.

It is understood that the "Eye Health Alliance" will focus on six major blinding diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, corneal diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and high myopia. The Alliance will play a significant role in various areas, including standardizing clinical ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment, training and certifying specialist physicians, conducting collaborative research, advancing the establishment of "Guangming Centers," streamlining inter-departmental referral pathways, and exploring models for co-managed eye care. An expert team from the Eye Health Alliance, comprising renowned specialists from Shanghai General Hospital, Fudan University Affiliated Eye & ENT Hospital, Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Xiamen Eye Center affiliated with Xiamen University, will provide in-depth guidance for the Alliance's operations.

At the launch ceremony, Professor Li Xiaoxin, Honorary Chairman of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and President of Xiamen Eye Center, stated: “The conceptual evolution from ‘prevention and treatment of eye diseases’ to ‘eye health’ holds significant importance for ophthalmologists, patients, the public, and China’s eye health sector. Furthermore, by strengthening standardized training for ophthalmologists and enhancing talent development, we aim to elevate the overall quality of ophthalmic professionals nationwide, thereby advancing China’s eye health endeavors.”

Professor Xu Xun, Head of the National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases and Vice Chairman of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, stated, “Addressing eye health urgently requires concerted efforts to pool nationwide professional expertise in ophthalmology. By adopting a patient-centered approach, implementing tiered diagnosis and treatment along with stepwise referral systems, and streamlining inter-departmental referral pathways, we can achieve the sharing of diverse resources, including specialists, clinical services, scientific research and education, and patient data. The Eye Health Alliance will facilitate multi-disciplinary and multi-sector collaboration in the field of ophthalmic diseases, foster the establishment of an ecosystem for ophthalmic enterprises, promote the development of clinical research and the translation of scientific achievements, and lead the direction of ophthalmic medical research in China.”

In addition, the Alliance will focus on actively exploring collaborations with artificial intelligence enterprises, advancing big data collection and informatization for eye diseases, and striving to ensure that more patients with ocular conditions have access to affordable, professional ophthalmic medical services, thereby contributing to the implementation of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan for Eye Health.

Ms. Zhang Ying, President of Novartis China, an industry representative participating in the launch of the Alliance, stated, “Novartis has long been committed to advancing eye health in China. With the launch of the Eye Health Alliance, Novartis aims to contribute to blindness prevention and treatment efforts in the country. Moving forward, Novartis will continue to fulfill its corporate social responsibility by strengthening collaboration with ophthalmology experts, medical institutions, and organizations, exploring cross-sector partnerships, and promoting early diagnosis and screening as well as enhancing clinical care for eye diseases. Together, we will safeguard patients’ vision and support the development of eye health in China.”