Written question asked by Nick Hurd (Conservative) on Monday, 16 November 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 November 2015. It was answered by Grant Shapps (Conservative) on Monday, 23 November 2015 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Visual Impairment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assumptions her Department has made on (a) global levels of avoidable blindness and low vision and (b) projected levels of those problems in 2020 in planning its work.

Answer: The latest available evidence on the burden of disease is used in planning our work. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Data on levels and trends of the burden of diseases and injuries and the risk factors that cause them are an important input to health decision-making for national governments and development partners.When making investment decisions DFID considers many factors, including the burden of disease, to ensure that we deliver value for money and that we address the health needs of the countries we support.

Secondary information