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Statement By Honourable Gaston Browne Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda at the The Value of Vision: The Case for Investment United Nations Friends of Vision Side-Event hosted by the Honourable Gaston Browne Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
Five years ago, this Assembly made history. We adopted the landmark resolution “Vision for Everyone”—a resolution co-sponsored by Bangladesh, Ireland, and Antigua and Barbuda, and embraced unanimously by over 100 nations.
That resolution was not just words on paper; it was a promise—a promise to more than one billion people around the world living with preventable or treatable vision loss.
A promise that they would no longer be denied the right to see clearly, to learn fully, to work productively, and to live with dignity.
But five years on, the reality is sobering. Progress has been far too slow. Millions of children still sit in classrooms unable to see the blackboard. Workers are still leaving their jobs because their vision no longer allows them to perform safely or effectively.
Our elderly—who should be pillars of support in their families—are too often sidelined because of impaired sight.
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This is not only a human tragedy—it is an economic one. It is the waste of a billion lives’ worth of untapped potential.
Colleagues, the case for action is not only moral; it is also economic, and it is overwhelming.
A new investment study released today by the IAPB, the Seva Foundation, and the Fred Hollows Foundation makes this plain. If we were to provide vision care to that one billion people, the world would gain:
- $447 billion in economic returns every year.
- 22 million new jobs.
- 13 million additional school years for children.
- 320,000 more years of life lived.
- And we would reduce road accidents, depression, and the crushing burden of unpaid care borne by hundreds of millions of families.
These are not abstract figures. They are opportunities for growth, for development, and for dignity.
For small states like Antigua and Barbuda, the logic is crystal clear: investing in eye health is not charity—it is smart economics. It is a direct path to productivity, prosperity, and resilience.
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And so, colleagues, just as 2021 marked a watershed moment, today we chart the next.
I am proud to announce that Antigua and Barbuda will host the first-ever Global Summit on Eye Health in 2026.
This summit will not be another talk shop. It will be a platform for leaders, international partners, the private sector, and civil society to commit to tangible, measurable action.
We will focus on innovation, on partnerships, and on strategies that deliver results—restoring sight, restoring potential, and restoring hope.
Colleagues, the choice before us is stark.
Either we allow vision loss to continue robbing the world of talent, productivity, and human dignity—or we act decisively and reap the social and economic dividends that are right in front of us.
The time for talking has passed. Now is the time for action.
I thank you.
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