International ophthalmology giant, Australia’s Professor Hugh Taylor AC has delivered a sweeping and urgent call to action on global eye health, warning that while major gains have been made in reducing blindness, demand for care is accelerating and inequities persist.

Speaking at the 2026 Barry Jones Vision Oration in late April, Prof Taylor traced more than a century of progress in the prevention of blindness, while highlighting the challenges that remain in eliminating avoidable vision loss worldwide.

In his address, Prof Taylor emphasised that blindness is increasingly preventable, with the leading causes globally identified as unoperated cataract and uncorrected refractive error. Despite advances in treatment and service delivery, he noted that access to care remains uneven, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

He said globally “there has been significant reduction in the prevalence of vision loss and blindness”, but the actual number of people affected continues to grow due to population growth and ageing.

MEASURABLE PROGRESS

Prof Taylor outlined the evolution of international efforts to combat vision loss leading to the landmark Vision 2020 program, which aimed to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 through global collaboration between governments, non-government organisations, and the World Health Organization.

While that goal was not fully realised, Prof Taylor said the initiative had driven measurable progress. Rates of cataract surgery have increased dramatically, and global blindness prevalence has declined by an estimated 27%.

However, he cautioned that these gains mask a growing burden. Today, approximately 43 million people are blind worldwide, with projections suggesting that figure could rise to 60 million without further intervention, he said.

A key theme of the oration was the need to shift focus from service provision alone to “effective coverage”. Prof Taylor argued that simply delivering interventions is not enough if outcomes are poor. For example, many patients who undergo cataract surgery still do not achieve optimal vision due to inadequate follow up or incorrect lens selection.

Similarly, while access to glasses has improved, large numbers of people still live with suboptimal correction. Globally, only a fraction of those who need refractive care achieve functional vision.

FUTURE ACTION

Looking ahead, he pointed to a major Global Summit for Eye Health scheduled for November in Antigua, which aims to secure international investment and political commitment. A proposed US$7 billion investment in eye care in low- and middle-income countries could generate an estimated US$199 billion in economic returns, underscoring the strong case for action.

Despite compelling economic arguments, Prof Taylor acknowledged that funding remains competitive, emphasising the importance of sustained advocacy and personal engagement with policymakers to ensure eye care remains a priority.

“We must reach everybody,” Prof Taylor said. “And we must use effective interventions.”