Working to Reduce Visual Impairment in Children Under Five

NICHQ and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) are working on a project to increase the diagnosis of visual impairment in children ages 0-5. The three-year Maternal and Child Health Bureau-funded project, called “Breakthrough Series Improvement Program on Early Detection of Vision Problems in Young Children,” will support the development of comprehensive and coordinated approaches to children’s vision and eye health in five states. The project will employ quality improvement (QI) principles and practices to implement systems-level changes. The program plans to accomplish the following: 

• Strengthen statewide partnerships and coordination among key stakeholders in children’s vision and eye health
• Increase access to and utilization of vision health services in hard to reach communities
• Increase early detection and treatment of vision problems
• Establish state-level surveillance approaches
• Implement vision health system measures of accountability.

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