World Sight Day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of October and is a worldwide occasion intended to throw some light on blindness and vision impairment. It was established by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in the year 2000. This year World Sight Day will be observed on October 12, the second Thursday of October 2023.
One billion individuals all throughout the planet have noncurable vision problems or one that still can’t seem to be tended to. Diminished or missing vision can have major and durable consequences in one’s life, including day-to-day chores.
Decreased vision can be brought about by a few things, including sicknesses like diabetes and trachoma, injury to the eyes, or conditions like refractive failure, age-related macular issues, or glaucoma.
World Sight Day History
Lions Clubs International collaborated with blindness prevention associations worldwide to honor the main World Sight Day on October 8, 1998. This occasion was subsequently incorporated into VISION 2020, a worldwide drive that the IAPB organizes.
This drive is a joint program between WHO and the IAPB. It includes NGOs, and experts, just as eye-care organizations and partnerships.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the UN’s coordinating and planning expert for well-being, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) are effectively engaged in planning events for World Sight Day.
Lions Clubs International has additionally been effectively engaged with conducting the day yearly for a long time.
Numerous people, organizations, and non-government associations cooperate with WHO and IAPB to mark the day by raising public awareness of blindness and vision weakness as significant worldwide general medical problems.
World Sight Day Theme 2023
The theme for this year has been announced as “Love your eyes at Work”. In the age of digitalization, we have forgotten the importance of our eyes. Due to increased screen time, with people sitting in front of the television, and using mobile phones for endless hours, there has been a rise in visual problems.
This year’s theme is a reminder that we are responsible for taking care of the beautiful gift of nature that has been bestowed upon us. A gift without which we won’t be able to see the beautiful creation of God.
Some of the previous themes have been rounded up here:
2016- Stronger Together
2017- Make Vision Count
2018- Eye Care Everywhere
2019- Vision First
2020- Hope In Sight
2022- Love Your Eyes
How Is World Sight Day Celebrated?
The event highlights the importance of eye health and raises awareness of the urgent need for better eye health facilities. There are various organizations that conduct free health drives on this occasion and provide free eye check-ups.
There are so many things that you can also do on World Sight Day. for instance, you can schedule a visit to your doctor for an eye check-up first. You can also volunteer in various campaigns organized and raise awareness towards various visual impairments and blindness.
You can also visit a local NGO for blind people and help them with their chores. The biggest thing that you can do on this day is by registering yourself to donate your eyes when you leave this world. You will receive the blessings of many and continue to live through someone’s eyes.
Tips to keep your eyes healthy
Things you should keep in mind while taking care of your eyes include:
- Eat healthy food
- Don’t smoke
- Limit your screen time
- Wear sunglasses when going out to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays
- Maintain hygiene
- Don’t use unnecessary medicines
- Be regular with your eye check-ups
- Exercise daily
In order to maintain your eye health, you have to make sure that you are eating healthy foods. there are lots of foods that may help you keep your eyes shining.
Fish is considered to have Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your eyes. nuts and legumes are also good sources for keeping your eyes healthy.
Apart from this, you should also eat leafy green vegetables, meat, carrots, and citrus fruits.
Conditions Leading To Visual Impairment
- Myopia (near-sightedness): With increased time spent inside homes with a close usage of digital sources, there are increased cases of myopia these days.
- Having a late diagnosis of the problem has caused many to suffer from visual impairments. To prevent this regular check-ups with your ophthalmologist are needed.
- Type 2 Diabetes or Diabetes retinopathy is another major cause of visual impairment.
On this occasion of World Sight Day, make a promise to yourself to keep your eyes safe, and just as the theme says “Love your eyes”.
