VISION 2020 New Zealand has partnered with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to produce Clear Focus: The economic impact of vision loss in New Zealand in 2009.

Conducted by Access Economics, the research looks at the best available evidence to estimate the number of Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders with mild to severe vision loss. The costs of vision loss to government, industry and the New Zealand community are calculated and projected to 2020.

The research

Clear Focus found that:

• Vision loss cost New Zealand society $2.8 billion in 2009, and this figure is increasing each year.

• Without a focused effort on preventing sight loss, the number of New Zealanders over 40 who have vision loss is projected to rise from 125,000 to 174,000 by 2020.

• Direct health costs alone would more than double to $523 million by 2020, compared with $198 million in 2009.

• The Māori population is disproportionately affected by vision loss. The overall prevalence of vision impairment and blindness in Māori aged 45-74 years is twice that of non-Māori.

You can download the full report or an overview of the research from the links below.

• Download the Clear Focus overview report (PDF, 1.24 MB)
• Clear Focus overview in accessible electronic text (Word, 98 kB)
• Download the full Clear Focus research (PDF, 977 kB)
• Full Clear Focus research in accessible electronic text (Word, 1.24 MB)

The campaign

The Clear Focus report was launched officially at Parliament on 2 August 2011. Read our media release following the launch.

If you represent an organisation, please consider signing up to our Clear Focus Consensus Statement to show your support for a comprehensive national eye health strategy.

As an individual, you can sign our online support statement to personally endorse our campaign to eliminate avoidable blindness in New Zealand.

You can also follow VISION 2020 New Zealand on Facebook and Twitter for updates on the campaign and our progress.

For more information about VISION 2020's Clear Focus, please contact Sara Peary, RNZFB's Executive Director Stakeholder Relations and Clear Focus Project Manager for VISION 2020 NZ, at speary@rnzfb.org.nz or on 0800 24 33 33.