The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) decided recently to award Saudi Arabia the Global Partnership Award and Regional Achievement Award in recognition to the Kingdom's efforts led by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in a program to control visual disability and to support WHO in the fight against blindness and the leading role played by the Minister of Health during the past years. Both awards have given for the first time to Saudi Arabia. Speaking on the occasion Minister of Health Hamad Al-Manea highlighted the generous support of King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz in combating visual disability programs. “The role of the Ministry of Health is consistent with the prominent and vital mission as well as sustained and intensive efforts carried out in this regard by Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, president of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of IAPB to combat blindness in supporting the fight against blindness in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,” the minister added. He also referred to Kingdom's strong role in presenting the initiative Vision 2020: the Right to Sight to the General Assembly of the World Health Organization.
