World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness observed by the World Health Organization Global Action Plan, every second Thursday of October. This annual day of awareness has been held since 1998 and is meant to build awareness for blindness and vision impairment. People from around the world are encouraged to observe World Sight Day to show that blindness and vision impairment can be avoided. If we keep ourselves armed with knowledge on proper preventative eye care and hygiene, cases of blindness and visual impairment will steadily decrease.
It is also important to be aware that many avoidable cases of blindness and visual impairment happen in countries where access to proper preventative care is hard to come by. On October 13th, 2016, let’s ask ourselves how we can help create a world where avoidable vision problems are at an all time low!
#StrongerTogether
This year’s call to action for World Sight Day is to be ‘Stronger Together’. It embodies our fight against blindness and visual impairment. During World Sight Day, the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) coordinates activities that raise public awareness regarding blindness and vision impairment. These activities also influence the government to provide funds for programs for the benefit of blind people.
A photo competition is also being held to help spread awareness. Post a photo on social media with the hashtag “#strongertogether”, and you could win a cash prize or a professional DSLR camera!
Universal Eye Care
The theme for this year’s World Sight Day is ‘Universal Eye Care.’ The theme keeps with the WHO’s Action plan for 2014-2019. It promotes preventative eye care and how it can help eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairments. There are 285 million people who are impaired visually, and 4 out of 5 of these cases are preventable with access to proper eye care.
The goal of this action plan: to decrease avoidable visual impairment by 25% by the year 2019.
Celebrate World Sight Day
You can celebrate World Sight Day by doing something today to benefit your vision tomorrow. Schedule a comprehensive eye exam if you are overdue, update your prescription, and spread the work to your loved ones. You can also help by raising awareness in your communities, supporting IAPB’s global initiative VISION 2020, and simply utilizing the eye care professionals around you!
Spread your advocacy using social media by informing your friends and acquaintances about the World Sight Day on October 13, 2016, so they can become a part of the initiative!
International Key Messages
There are 285 million people around the globe who suffer from vision impairment and blindness. 39 million people out of these 285 million are blind, and 246 million are visually impaired either moderately or severely. 90% of blind people live in low socioeconomic areas where they do not receive proper eye care. 80% of overall cases of visual impairment are preventable and treatable.
With World Sight Day in just a few days, let’s focus on spreading the word among our family and friends by encouraging them to be proactive about their eyesight. Be a part of the initiative!
Healthy eyes lead to a happy and fulfilling life. Call Loden Vision in Nashville to schedule an eye appointment, LASIK consultation or cataract surgery consultation. We are here to ensure you experience the best vision possible!
