New Zealand foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta

The leaders of 54 Commonwealth nations have built on their 2018 agreement to a multi-pronged approach for access to screenings and affordable vision treatments, by committing to increasing access to quality eyecare, including eliminating trachoma and early glaucoma detection.

Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda at the end of June 2022, the leaders had been lobbied for four years by the Vision for the Commonwealth Coalition, which includes several charities and is led by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). The coalition called for prioritisation of school vision screenings and affordable treatment for all children living in Commonwealth nations.

Peter Holland, chair of the Vision for the Commonwealth Coalition and chief executive of IAPB, said, “Eye health has long been a neglected public health issue and with evidence to suggest that by 2050 half the world’s population will have myopia, we are on the verge of a global crisis which world leaders must step in to prevent.

“We praise Commonwealth governments for their global leadership in working towards the eradication of blinding trachoma. We also welcome this commitment to prioritise sight screenings and affordable treatment, so as many children as possible see clearly,” said Holland.

With prime minister Jacinda Ardern attending the NATO summit in Spain, New Zealand was represented in Kigali by foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta.