The World Sight Day is annually observed on every second Thursday of October which means this year it falls on 13th October. It is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment.
This day is observed to to raise awareness about eye health and to recognise the work done by the thousands of ophthalmologists across the world to fix vision impairment.
It is also known as 'World Eye Day' or 'World Vision Day', the occasion is an international day of awareness to focus attention on and encouraging everyone to think about the importance of their own eye health and taking extra care of it so that any damage to their sight can be prevented at first only before leading to blindness or problems in vision.
| Event | World Sight Day |
|---|---|
| Date | October 13, 2022 |
| Day | Thursday |
| Significance | The day promotes eye health and the importance of proper eye care. |
| Observed by | World wide |
World Sight Day History:
The origins of this day started with the formation of an organization called the Lions Clubs International founded by William Perry Woods in 1916. However it was in 1917 when Melvin Jones who was the secretary of Williak established the Lions Club International(L.C.I.) as an international organization. Since its formation The Lions Clubs International has organized a variety of projects across the globe like fundraising for typhoons and cyclone victims, diagnosis and management for people with hearing disorders, community hearing, and cancer screening projects.
The most well known project which was taken by the Lion Clubs International was the project of the 'SightFirst' campaign. This campaign was started in 1990, and this campaign aimed to fight blindness due to trachoma and other causes of blindness. It was also started to make realize about the importance of sight to people and the ways to prevent any visual impairment. And also to raise funds for the treatment of visually impaired patients. Since its inception these campaigns have helped over millions of people worldwide who were visually impaired.
During the 'SightFirst' campaign in 2000, the Lions Clubs International and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (I.A.P.B.) proclaimed every second Thursday of October to be observed as World Sight Day and since then it has been celebrated in this way. The primary objective of this day was to draw the public’s attention to the importance of following safe practices to prevent blindness and other problems related to vision.
The first day was observed by millions of people worldwide to spread awareness about eye care and also to appreciate the gift of vision, which is a blessing in every sense of the word. This day was also a step towards the World Health Organization's program called 'VISION 2020', which aimed to "intensify and accelerate prevention of blindness activities so as to achieve the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by 2020."
World Sight Day Significance:
World Sight Day is supported by over 150 IAPB member organisations, including every major eye care NGO in the world, apex professional bodies for ophthalmology and optometry, teaching hospitals and corporations, united in working together to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairment. So this day has already made a mark at the world stage and this day aims to add more and more people every year towards this movement.
Eye health impacts education, employment, quality of life, poverty and so many other sustainable development goals which are set up by the United Nations. Hence the issue of sight is not at all which should be taken lightly as neglecting it today can lead to harmful effects for your future which can change your life forever and can cause massive problems for you so it is better to be preventive on this matter. Eyes are one of the biggest gift from the nature to us and now it is our responsibility to always take care of it.
Globally, at least 1 billion people have near or distance vision impairment that could be prevented or has yet to be addressed. Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50. Vision impairment and blindness can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities and the ability to access public services.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the overarching alliance for the eye care sector that leads activities around World Sight Day has launched several tools for those wanting to get involved in this year’s campaign and is also asking individuals, eye care professionals, hospitals, NGOs and businesses around the world to help reach 5 million sight tests which it has pledged for World Sight Day 2022.
World Sight Day Theme:
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) had confirmed earlier in the year that it will continue the theme of #LoveYourEyes for World Sight Day 2022 to build on the success of last year’s campaign, which saw over 3.5 million pledges to prioritise eye health.
The Love Your Eyes campaign encourages individuals to take care of their own eye health and draws attention to over a billion people worldwide who have vision loss and do not have access to eye care services.
This year IAPB is asking members and people across the sector to carry out sight screenings in national parliaments, assemblies, presidential and royal palaces to highlight the importance of eye health with politicians and decision makers.
Most Searched FAQs on World Sight Day:
1. When is World Sight Day observed?
World Sight Day is annually observed on every second Thursday of October.
2. Who founded World Sight Day?
World Sight Day was founded by the Lion Clubs International during the 'SightFirst' campaign in 2000.
3. What is the theme of World Sight Day 2022?
The theme for World Sight Day 2022 is #LoveYourEyes.