LOVE YOUR EYES – KIDS

World Sight Day, observed globally on the second Thursday of October every year, is dedicated to raising awareness about vision impairment, blindness and eye health. It focuses the world’s attention on the importance of eye care and strives to inspire everyone, at every age and every stage, to ‘Love Your Eyes’. The theme for 2024, ‘Love Your Eyes – Kids’, emphasises the importance of eye care in young people, inspiring children everywhere to love their eyes and helping to create a world where every child has eye health that is accessible, available and affordable’.

World Sight Day was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to raise awareness about vision impairment and blindness. It first took place in 1998, became an official event in 2000 and has since become a global initiative supported by various organisations, governments and eye care professionals worldwide.

Since its inception, World Sight Day has played a significant role in advocating for eye health, reducing preventable blindness, and improving access to quality eye care services.

Recognising that early intervention and regular eye health monitoring is critical to unlocking education opportunities and future economic potential, “we campaign to ensure that children not only understand the importance of caring for their eye health but are also free from the weight of any social stigma associated with wearing glasses and other corrective treatments. Starting with a groundswell of young people who are inspired to make their vision a priority, we encourage a generation of children who have all the information they need to protect their eyes and, crucially, take the steps needed to look after their vision – from reducing screen time and placing importance on being outside through to seeking help for any ailments and discomfort.”

As part of its global awareness campaign, IAPB has developed a number of activities and events to support involvement in World Sight Day. The organisation suggests the activities will help to raise awareness of the 450 million children globally who have a sight condition that requires treatment.

Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB, commented: “We all know that in children an uncorrected vision impairment can severely impact their education. Research tells us that children with access to and being prescribed spectacles can reduce failing rates by 44%. It can really change their perspective on life”.

One such activity was to ask children around the world to design the glasses of the future, what they might look like, what they might be made of, and what special features they might have.

As well as World Sight Day, South Africa dedicates an entire month to visual health. Eye Care Awareness Month, from 21 September to 18 October, encourages conversations about the importance of eye care, specifically around the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness.

Because seventy-five percent of vision impairment can be treated or prevented, the focus during this month is on various ocular conditions, particularly those that can cause preventable blindness such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Regular eye examinations are an essential element of eye care. The eyes can be an indicator of overall health, and eye health can affect many aspects of life, such as daily personal activities, interactions with others, school and work performance, and access to public services.

Globally, hundreds of billions of dollars are lost in productivity each year because of visual impairment. Access to the right eye care can create a positive ripple effect in people’s lives, improve access to education and work opportunities and reduce poverty and hunger.

Apart from having regular eye exams, it is important to take care of eye health by protecting the eyes from UV light by wearing sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of UV rays, making eye-healthy food choices, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, and whole grains, and managing health conditions such as diabetes.

World Sight Day serves as a reminder that eye health is not an optional extra; it is vital to everything.

It highlights the need for access to eye care, and early detection and treatment of eye conditions, so that children can learn, adults can earn, and quality of life can be improved by eliminating preventable blindness.