Canada passes National Strategy for Eye Care Act

The bill will empower provincial governments, health care researchers and practicing clinicians to develop patient-centred care measures. Image credit: ©DD Images – stock.adobe.com

The Parliament of Canada has passed Bill C-284, better known to constituents as the National Strategy for Eye Care Act. In a press release from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, vision health advocates celebrated the measure. Canada’s Vision Health Partners are a collective of eye care advocacy groups¹ including Balance for Blind Adults, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Canadian Council of the Blind, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, Diabetes Canada, Fighting Blindness Canada, the International Federation on Aging, the Opticians Association of Canada and Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada.

Bill C-284 was sponsored as a private members bill by the Honourable Judy A. Sgro, and received royal assent on Thursday, 7 November, 2024.² “The vision loss crisis in Canada requires a coordinated response, and this is what the national eye care strategy is all about,” Sgro said in an address in an April 2023 debate in the House of Commons, where she moved for Bill C-284 to be read a second time and referred to a committee.³

“There are 1.2 million Canadians who live with vision loss or blindness. There were 1,292 deaths associated with vision loss in 2019 alone," she said in her address. "Meanwhile, 75% of vision loss cases can be prevented if patients are diagnosed early and have access to treatment.” Additionally, according to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, eight million Canadians currently live with one of the top four eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and/or glaucoma.¹

Sgro said that the bill would allow all provincial governments, health care researchers and practicing clinicians "to sit down at one table" to develop patient-centered care measures. In the press release praising the bill’s passing, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society wrote, “This legislation sets forth a comprehensive framework to develop a national strategy to improve eye care and rehabilitation services, invest in research to provide treatments and cures, increase accessibility and promote eye health education nationwide, ensuring all Canadians will have access to essential eye health services.

Many leaders in eye health advocacy applauded the bill, in quotations they contributed to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society’s news release.¹ Dr Mona Harissi-Dagher, President, Canadian Ophthalmological Society, said "We are extremely pleased with the passage of Bill C-284 as this legislation underscores the importance of advancing vision health, and a step forward to ensuring optimal eye care for all Canadians. Prioritising vision care improves lives and strengthens our economy, which helps build a healthier society for all Canadians."

The bill passed in November, which is Diabetes Awareness Month. Laura Syron, President and CEO of Diabetes Canada, commented on the impact of C-284. "With diabetic retinopathy affecting nearly one million people in Canada and leading to new cases of blindness each year, the passage of Bill C-284, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act is a critical step toward protecting the health and quality of life for people living with diabetes. Nearly all people in Canada with type 1 diabetes and more than 60 per cent with type 2 will face some degree of retinopathy over time, so this strategy is needed to reduce the serious health impacts of sight loss, including increased risk of falls and mortality."

The bill is expected to have wide-spread benefits beyond the community of those who are blind or living with vision loss. Jim Tokos, National President, Canadian Council of the Blind, said "The passage of Bill C-284 is a major step towards ensuring that vision rehabilitation of people who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted is integrated into the continuum of care and that all Canadians achieve the best possible vision health." And Jennifer Jones, President and CEO of Fighting Blindness Canada, said "An investment in research is an investment in hope. As we look to the future, the creation of a National Eye Care Strategy will help advance treatments and technology which have meaningful impacts on the quality of life for Canadians with vision loss and their caregivers."

References

1. Canada's Vision Health Partners Applaud Parliament's Passage of Bill C-284, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act. News release. Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published 8 November, 2024. Accessed 14 November, 2024. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canada-s-vision-health-partners-applaud-parliament-s-passage-of-bill-c-284-the-national-strategy-for-eye-care-act-845473904.html

2. C-284, An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care. House of Commons, Parliament of Canada. Published November 2021; last updated November 2024. Accessed November 2024.https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-284?view=details

3. House of Commons Debates Official Report: Friday, April 28, 2023. House of Commons, Parliament of Canada. Published April 2023. Accessed November 2024. https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/house/sitting-187/hansard