World Sight Day is celebrated annually on the second Thursday of October. This event is an international campaign to raise awareness and take action against vision loss and blindness.
The purpose of this day is to increase awareness about the importance of preventive measures to prevent blindness, advocate for eye health, and guarantee fair access to high-quality vision care. The worldwide effort motivates government, healthcare professionals, and people to prioritise eye health by addressing issues such as cataracts, refractive errors, and diabetic retinopathy.
According to The World Health Organisation, World Sight Day acts as a prompt for adults to also make their eye health a priority. Taking regular breaks while reading or using digital devices and wearing eye protection while using tools and chemicals that may harm the eyes is crucial. One should also refrain from smoking and limit UV exposure by wearing sunglasses and hats when outside to protect against eye diseases.
World Sight Day 2024: History
The Lions Club International Foundation initiated World Sight Day as a component of the "Sight First" campaign in 1988. The partnership between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) led to the official founding of World Sight Day in 1999, with the first celebration taking place on October 12, 2000.
World Sight Day 2024: Significance
The purpose of the day is to emphasise the significance of eye health and vision care on a worldwide scale. It motivates individuals to decrease preventable blindness, advocate for fair availability of high-quality eye care, and tackle increasing instances of vision loss. World Sight Day promotes efforts to avoid blindness, back research and innovation to guarantee comprehensive eye health services by rallying governments, healthcare providers and communities.
World Sight Day 2024: Theme
The World Sight Day falls on October 10, 2024, this year. The theme for World Sight Day is “Children, Love Your Eyes".
According to WHO, it aims to debunk myths about vision and promote a world where children are free from the social stigma associated with wearing glasses or other corrective aids.
Importance To Spread Awareness
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), more than 1.3 crores of people worldwide have vision impairment related to their work, with an estimated 350 lakh eye injuries happening in the workplace each year.
Among all cases of blindness, 90% of them can be avoided or treated if identified early. Therefore, awareness plays a vital role in preventing and delaying the progression of eye diseases.
So, the World Sight Day creates a platform to emphasize awareness about eye health, advocate for better eye care services, and promote measures for preventing blindness and vision impairment.
Tips to Prevent Vision Loss
The following steps can aid a person in overcoming vision loss:
Abiding by the 20/20/20 rule for providing the eyes with screen breaks.
Children should spend a minimum of two hours outside to prevent the development of nearsightedness in their eyes.
Wearing shades outdoors.
Wearing prescription glasses is necessary when required.
Examining beauty products that are susceptible to causing eye infections.
Regularly engaging in physical activity.
Consuming a nutritious diet is essential for maintaining healthy eyes.
Giving up smoking can assist in preventing vision loss.
Getting routine eye exams to catch issues early on before they develop.
