World Sight Day
World
Sight Day is a global event that focuses on bringing attention on
blindness and vision impairment. It is observed on the second Thursday
of October each year.
What Do People Do?
The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the UN’s directing and
coordinating authority for health, and the International Agency for the
Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) are actively involved in coordinating
events and activities for World Sight Day. Associations such as Lions
Clubs International have also been actively involved in promoting the
day on an annual basis for many years.
Many communities, associations, and non-government organizations work together with WHO and IAPB to promote the day for the following purposes:
Many communities, associations, and non-government organizations work together with WHO and IAPB to promote the day for the following purposes:
- To raise public awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues.
- To influence governments, particularly health ministers, to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programs.
- To educate target audiences about blindness prevention, about VISION 2020 and its activities, and to generate support for VISION 2020 program activities.
Some people plant trees to commemorate World Sight Day and while
others submit a photo for an international photo montage that focuses on
the theme of blindness. Other activities include taking part in
awareness-raising walks or distributing and displaying posters,
bookmarks, booklets and other forms of information the raise awareness
about preventable blindness.
Background
The world's population is ageing and people are living longer but
blindness from chronic conditions is also rising, according to WHO.
About 80 percent of the world's 45 million blind people are aged over 50
years. About 90 percent of blind people live in low-income countries,
where older people, especially older women, face barriers to getting the
necessary eye health care. Yet, many age-related conditions leading to
blindness – such as cataract, refractive error and glaucoma – can be
easily and cheaply treated or cured. Timely intervention can often delay
or reduce their effects on vision.
Lions Clubs International partnered with blindness prevention
organizations worldwide to commemorate the first World Sight Day on
October 8, 1998. This event was later integrated into VISION 2020, a
global initiative that the IAPB coordinates. This initiative is a joint
program between WHO and the IAPB. It involves non-government
organizations, and professional associations, as well as eye care
institutions and corporations.
