1981
An international conference at Leeds Castle, England, formulates global strategies for the prevention of disability leading to the formulation by three United Nations agencies of the International Initiative Against Avoidable Disablement, now known as the IMPACT program.

First nationwide probability sample-based survey of blindness is carried out in Nepal with the cooperation of WHO, the government of the Netherlands, Seva Foundation, the Norwegian Agency for International Development, and other participating agencies. Results from the survey give the first indication that cataract accounts for two thirds of Nepal's blindness. This survey forms the basis for the first five-year plan for the Nepal Blindness Program.

1980
Second PAG meets in Ouagadougou and adopts recommendations of WHO Task Force meeting in Bethesda.

A network of 10 WHO Collaborating Centers for research and training in the prevention of blindness are identified over the first two years of the Program and agreements for designation of those centers are elaborated. Another four centers have subsequently been included in this network.

1979
WHO Director-General establishes a WHO Program Advisory Group (PAG) on the prevention of blindness. Subsequent PAG meetings successfully evaluate progress made in the Program and coordinate work with the collaborating NGOs.

Foresight (Australian Overseas Aid and Prevention of Blindness, Ltd.) is founded in Australia.

WHO Task Force meets in Bethesda, Maryland.

1978
WHO Program for the Prevention of Blindness is officially established in Geneva. The first advisory meeting on program development initiates a number of task-force meetings on specific issues, including data on blindness, manpower development, economics of blindness prevention, primary eye care, and national program development.
WHO Task Force estimates that (according to which definition of blindness is adopted) there are probably 28 to 42 million blind people in the world.

Seva Foundation is founded in the United States to apply lessons learned through smallpox eradication to alleviate suffering due to other public health problems. Blindness prevention in Nepal is adopted as primary focus of program activity.

The First General Assembly of the IAPB is held in Oxford, United Kingdom, where 170 representatives from 44 nations convene for a three-day conference. Because it is already well known that mankind has the ability to significantly curtail the majority of the world's blinding eye diseases and prevent at least half of all blindness through well-planned sight conservation programs using available resources and medical knowledge, the theme of the Assembly is "Mobilizing Resources." Representatives of the world's blind population, organizations concerned with their welfare, government officials, ophthalmologists, and experts in vision science and other scientific disciplines evaluate the state of knowledge in each major area of visual disability and blindness and examine the possibilities for treatment and prevention. Prospects for greatly increased blindness prevention activities are studied in relation to regional needs, thus enabling the participants to return to their homes resolved to stimulate governmental and inter-governmental action.

1976
WHO inter-regional meeting in Baghdad stimulates worldwide interest in the control of major causes of blindness. At this meeting are 27 participants from 21 countries, 27 observers, 12 representatives of NGOs (most of which are affiliated with the IAPB), 7 WHO temporary advisors, and 7 WHO staff members. This largest gathering of experts on the prevention of blindness ever assembled up to that time establishes strategies for manpower requirements and the development of eye-health services.

The theme of World Health Day on April 7 is "Foresight Prevents Blindness."

The National Program for the Control of Blindness is launched in India - the first-ever comprehensive nationwide program for the prevention and control of blindness, and a forerunner of similar developments around the world.

1975
A resolution is passed by the World Health Assembly requesting the Director General to enlist support of member governments in developing resources to prevent blindness and in setting up an advisory group.

The World Health Assembly adopts a resolution requesting the Director-General to take action against the problem of blindness and to establish initiatives against trachoma, xerophthalmia, cataract, onchocerciasis, ocular trauma, and glaucoma. This resolution was to be the basis for the establishment of the WHO Program for the Prevention of Blindness in 1978.

With the encouragement of WHO, the Association is transformed into the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness(IAPB) on January 1. The IAPB's charge is to lead a cooperative universal offensive to reduce drastically the world's avoidable blindness by controlling major blinding diseases. The first priority of IAPB is the establishment of national prevention of blindness committees. Since its founding, the IAPB as a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national committees within more than 60 countries has directed efforts toward mobilizing resources, increasing public awareness, supporting sight conservation programs, and implementing WHO health-care strategies aimed at blinding diseases.
The Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) Control Program (OCP) is launched in originally 7 (and later 11) West African countries with WHO as executive agency and support from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, and a number of donor countries.

A survey on nutritional blindness in Haiti determines that xerophthalmia is the leading cause of blindness in Haitian children.

1974
At ICO meeting in Paris, changes to broaden the base of the Association are considered. WHO indicates the need for a single international agency uniting the many groups working in the prevention of blindness field. After consultations between leaders of the Association and the WCWB, a plan to restructure the organization is developed to make it more effective in global blindness prevention.

Sir John Wilson (United Kingdom) is elected President and an executive committee is authorized to amend the Association's constitution. The proposed changes are subsequently adopted.

1972
Following a request from the World Health Assembly, WHO carries out a systematic inventory of available data on blindness and reports that there are between 10 and 15 million blind people in the world.
A Study Group on the Prevention of Blindness is convened to assess the magnitude of the problem and elaborate upon the definitions of visual impairment and blindness (that are used internationally to this day).

Vitamin A capsule distribution programs begin with launching of initiatives in Indonesia and 
E1-Salvador.