Equity is about the fair distribution of all resources throughout a group of people according to population, not individual need. Equity means not discriminating between people of different ethnicity, religion, age, gender, or social class, and delivering services in an acceptable, accessible, and affordable way.
VISION 2020 – INDIA looks at four important steps to bring about equity in eye care services:
- Identification of equity related gaps in the services being provided by conducting an analysis in certain selected districts
- Build capacities of partner organisations: developing and implementing pilot projects which can then be replicated at other places
- Advocating for changes in policies and programs to ensure that the underserved areas, such as North East states, are given due consideration.
- Promote use of HMIS that captures information adequate to understand gaps in equitable service delivery
Activities for achieving equitable eye care:
Our focus area under equitable eye care is the north east region which is underserved. At present, we are working in two states in the region – Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. To achieve our objective, we focus on:
- Consultations with concerned stakeholders
- Situational analysis of the selected districts
- Designing a state action plan
- Advocacy with the government to move forward in line with the action plan