Research to Enhance the US Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System

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The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to expand the vision and eye health surveillance system by identifying and incorporating new data sources and validating data and key indicators, maintaining the existing system, and promoting the vision and eye health surveillance system to stakeholders to monitor the burden of vision loss and eye diseases and ultimately to improve the vision and eye health of the nation. Vision loss is recognized as a public health problem because it affects more than 4 million people aged 40 years and older in the United States. It is associated with higher prevalence of multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular health, falls, injuries, depression, smoking, premature mortality and overall poorer quality of life. The United States government in Healthy People 2010 and 2020, in conjunction with the vision and eye care communities, have identified the reduction of population disparities in vision loss and access to eye care services as top public health priorities. Despite the knowledge about the individual and societal burden of vision loss and eye diseases, the public health surveillance system in the United States has only just begun to systematically understand and monitor the magnitude and implications of vision loss, access to eye care, and effectiveness of services that potentially improve health and quality of life of those who are at risk of or experience vision loss.

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