Belize Joins Global WHO Initiative to Expand Access to Affordable Eyeglasses

Belize has joined a global effort aimed at improving vision care and access to affordable eyeglasses for its population.  The Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, has officially brought the WHO SPECS 2030 Initiative to the country.  Launched internationally in 2024, the initiative seeks to help countries increase by forty percent the number of people who can afford and access proper spectacles. Health officials say its introduction in Belize will strengthen the capacity of eye-care professionals and organizations across the country.  The programme is expected to improve vision screening, access to corrective lenses, and overall eye health services so that Belizeans, regardless of income level or geographic location, can see well enough to learn, work, and live productively.  We will have more details on this initiative in tomorrow’s newscast.