When was the last time you had your eyes tested? What about your family and friends? Prioritising eye health is one of the best ways to protect two of your most valuable assets!
Today, 10 October, is World Sight Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about eye health and highlighting the importance of preventing vision loss. This day is a chance for you to join people worldwide in promoting eye care through activities like vision screenings, awareness campaigns, and fundraising efforts. It’s also the perfect time to check on your own eye health!
This World Sight Day, we also invite you to look beyond the vision loss statistics and see the people behind them. Each person with vision loss has their own unique story, strengths, and contributions that deserve to be recognised. By understanding their experiences and supporting eye health initiatives, we can create a better future for all.
World Sight Day 2024 also highlights the importance of protecting children’s eye health. Simple solutions, like wearing spectacles, can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn, grow, and participate fully in life. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new SPECS 2030 initiative aims to make affordable, high-quality spectacles accessible to everyone who needs them, breaking down barriers and eliminating the stigma around vision correction.
For children, reducing screen time and spending more time outdoors has been shown to protect against myopia (short-sightedness). This means parents, caregivers, and educators play a vital role in preserving the vision of future generations.
Here in New Zealand, Eye Health Aotearoa is putting the spotlight on Children’s Eye Health (eyehealthaotearoa.org.nz).
Regular eye checks are essential for identifying vision issues early on, and tools like the WHOeyes app can make testing easy at home. Suitable for ages 8 and up, this free app is available in 14 languages and offers a simple way to monitor eye health. Learn more about the WHOeyes app here (www.who.int).
Our mission this World Sight Day is not only to protect our own vision but also the eye health of our children. Encourage regular eye check-ups, promote healthy habits, and remind yourself to take those breaks from screens. Small actions today can lead to a brighter, clearer future for us all.
Image Description: A woman making a heart shape with her hands, around her eye, with a globe in the foreground.
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