The ability to see deeply affects how human beings perceive and interpret the world around them. For most people, eyesight is part of everyday communication, social activities, educational and professional pursuits, the care of others, and the maintenance of personal health, independence, and mobility. Functioning eyes and vision system can reduce an adult's risk of chronic health conditions, death, falls and injuries, social isolation, depression, and other psychological problems. In children, properly maintained eye and vision health contributes to a child's social development, academic achievement, and better health across the lifespan. The public generally recognizes its reliance on sight and fears its loss, but emphasis on eye and vision health, in general, has not been integrated into daily life to the same extent as other health promotion activities, such as teeth brushing; hand washing; physical and mental exercise; and various injury prevention behaviors. A larger population health approach is needed to engage a wide range of stakeholders in coordinated efforts that can sustain the scope of behavior change. The shaping of socioeconomic environments can eventually lead to new social norms that promote eye and vision health. Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow proposes a new population-centered framework to guide action and coordination among various, and sometimes competing, stakeholders in pursuit of improved eye and vision health and health equity in the United States. Building on the momentum of previous public health efforts, this report also introduces a model for action that highlights different levels of prevention activities across a range of stakeholders and provides specific examples of how population health strategies can be translated into cohesive areas for action at federal, state, and local levels.

Originally published in 1989, much was known about blindness, but the field was divided into specialties. Experts in the different areas were widely dispersed among university departments, rehabilitation agencies, and school systems, with the result that people in one specialty area often knew little about developments in other areas. It was hoped that this work would be useful in reducing that isolation, by presenting, within a single volume, basic information derived from different approaches to the subject of blindness. Individuals already familiar with material in some of the chapters could gain added perspective on the field as a whole by reading about other aspects of blindness outside their specialty area.

Conceived by two emeritus professors, Drs. Ronald A. Bergman and Adel K. Afifi—with a combined 100 years of experience teaching gross anatomy and neuroanatomy—this book is designed to facilitate the understanding of the “mysterious” terminology used in anatomy, biology, and medicine, making the learning experience as pleasant as possible. Readers will be able to incorporate this understanding into their career choices, whether they are medical, dental, nursing, health science, or biology students. Anatomy is unique in design, purpose, and scope. It defines the terminology of anatomy, including origin, and includes a gallery of biographies of scientists and researchers responsible for them. The third section of the book examines the nervous system, with definition and origin of named structures and syndromes in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The result is an enhancement of the learning process in neuroanatomy, which is fraught with a seemingly endless number of disconnected terms. This book is not merely a glossary. Anatomy serves as a reference encyclopedia, designed for students who are learning a new language that is indispensable for a career in the health and biological sciences. At first it may appear a formidable task, but this easy-to-follow book offers an explanation of how our anatomical lingo evolved from Greek, Latin, and other sources in order to make sense of these terms, helping to cement them in a student’s understanding.