Dhaka, 18 August 2026 – Bangladesh today formally launched the WHO SPECS 2030 Initiative, taking an important step towards making quality and affordable refractive error services more accessible and strengthening national action to prevent avoidable vision loss.
The initiative was launched at a high-level event in Dhaka by Dr M.A Muhit, MP, Honourable State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, with Sheikh Momena Moni, Additional Secretary (WH Wing), Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), and Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, attending as Special Guests. The programme also brought together eye-care professionals, development partners, researchers, NGOs and private-sector representatives.
WHO launched SPECS 2030 globally in 2024, to expand access to refractive error services. In Bangladesh, a 2020 national survey reported 48.6% refractive error prevalence, excluding presbyopia, and spectacle coverage of only 26%. SPECS 2030 is a timely initiative for Bangladesh as it supports the global target of increasing effective refractive error coverage by 40 percentage points by 2030, focusing on services, skilled personnel, public education, affordability and stronger data and research. The MoHFW and National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIO&H) will take forward the initiative, with technical support from WHO.
Chief Guest Dr M.A Muhit, MP, Honourable State Minister, MoHFW, said, “We do not want eye care to remain a collection of isolated activities. Through a coordinated national plan, we want to bring NIO&H, the government health system, professional bodies, NGOs and other partners together to strengthen and expand essential services – including cataract and diabetic retinopathy care – where gaps still remain.”
Special Guest Sheikh Momena Moni, Additional Secretary (WH Wing), Health Services Division, MoHFW, said, “Our commitment is clear: to ensure that quality eye-care services reach everyone, including people in underserved communities. By strengthening skilled human resources, using innovation effectively and building strong partnerships, Bangladesh can make meaningful progress towards achieving its eye-health goals by 2030.”
Special Guest Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, said, “Something as simple as being able to see clearly can shape a child’s education, an adult’s livelihood and an older person’s independence and quality of life. Yet too many people of all ages still live with vision impairment that can be readily corrected. SPECS 2030 is an opportunity to change that. WHO is committed to supporting the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen services and make quality, affordable vision care accessible to everyone who needs it.”
The launch was followed by technical discussions and group work on 18–19 August to develop and refine implementation plans for refractive error, cataract and diabetic retinopathy.
The focus now is on turning these commitments into action – ensuring that people can receive the eye care they need earlier, closer to home and at a cost they can afford.