The Community Eye Health Journal: twenty years on

Many years ago, in Central Asia, the Journal was ‘given to me to do’ – and the first issue was published in 1988. In 2003, after reaching Issue 47, the fulfilling task of Editor was handed on to a very able and experienced colleague, Victoria Francis. In 2007, Elmien Wolvaardt Ellison became our third Editor, bringing a wealth of expertise to further enhance the original vision and purpose of the Journal. Through the role of Editor, I have had the opportunity and privilege of meeting and working with many colleagues and friends, truly an international community of health professionals who have sufficient vision and selfless purpose to work together, seeking to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide. During the past twenty years, the Community Eye Health Journal has sought to provide a service to health workers – not only to specialists, but to those who are simply ‘faced with eye problems’ – ophthalmologists, doctors, ophthalmic nurses, general nurses, optometrists, refractionists, ophthalmic medical assistants, ophthalmic technicians, community health workers, and many others. It has been the ethos and purpose of the Journal from the outset to bring health workers up to date with current thinking and practice – a process of continuing medical and health education. In 2004–2005, a survey found that the Journal was the only source of up-to-date information for 73% of our readers and 72% said that the Journal had changed or influenced their practice. Perhaps appropriately, the last twenty years have seen a growth in the development of eye care services – policies for disease control, human resource development, and infrastructure and appropriate technology provision – all central to VISION 2020: The Right to Sight. It is an encouraging thought that the Journal has played some part in providing knowledge and disseminating information, interpreting views and policy in health care practice to its readers and, thereby, preventing blindness and visual impairment around the world.