Global causes of vision loss in 2015: are we on track to achieve the Vision 2020 target?

Vision impairment, including blindness, is a major public health concern in middle-aged and elderly adults worldwide, associated with diminished quality of life and increased risk of falls and death.1,2 Estimates suggest that 36 million people were blind and 217 million people had moderate or severe vision impairment worldwide in 2015.3 The Global Action Plan for 2014–19 adopted by WHO member states sets a global target of a 25% reduction in the prevalence of avoidable vision loss due to cataract and uncorrected refractive error by 2019 from the 2010 baseline level.