World Sight Day was created to bring awareness to the vision loss that millions of people around the world face each day. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment worldwide.
Who is impacted?
Vision impairment can affect anyone, though individuals from low and middle-income countries are four-times more likely to develop an impairment than high-income countries. Many of these people have a treatable condition that becomes worse over time due to lack of resources and medical care.
According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) women are also more likely to develop a vision impairment compared to men. Women are 12% more likely to have a mild vision impairment, 15% more likely to have a severe vison impairment, and 8% more likely to be blind. The disparities between men and women can be because of the longer life expectancy for women and cultural factors that may prevent women from receiving health care in certain areas of the world.
What can be done?
According to the IAPB there are strategies that individuals can implement to help maintain healthy. They outlined this using the 4P’s:
Prevent
- Eat healthy foods.
- Spend time outside.
- Be mindful of screen time.
Protect
- Use sunglasses when necessary.
- While playing sports or other recreational activities, use proper eye protection.
Preserve
- Schedule an eye exam.
- Follow doctor’s recommendations.
Prioritize
- Put your eye care first.
- Do not ignore early warning signs that something may be wrong.
Eye Facts
- The most common eye color is brown.
- Children with vision loss are 2.5x less likely to receive a formal education.
- Ommatophobia means fear of the eyes.
- The space between your eyebrows is called the Glabella.
20-20-20 Rule for Eyes
In recent times, individuals have been exposed to much higher amounts of screen exposure, which can strain the eyes. To avoid any injury to the eyes, scientists have recommended following the 20-20-20 rule.
After staring at a screen for 20 minutes, take a 20 second break by staring at something at least 20 feet away.
Additional Resources
VISION USA
Vision USA is a program funded by Optometry Cares - The AOA Foundation. It provides free eye exams to uninsured, low-income workers and their families. For more information about VISION USA, call 1-800-766-4466 or click here.
Essilor Vision Foundation
Essilor Vision Foundation’s statement reads: 12 million kids in the U.S. need vision care and over half of them will live with blurred vision in 2020. The Foundation is committed to making sure every child sees clearly. No child or family ever receives a bill for services from EVF. Click here for more information.
Orbis
Orbis is an organization that is working to ensure that individuals around the world have access to eye healthcare. We bring people together in the fight against avoidable blindness. We know we can't do it all on our own, so we work with partners to evaluate the specific needs of each region, help develop a tailored plan to restore sight and put in place a long-term eye health strategy. Click here to read about their Flying Hospital, Country Programs, and Cybersight-telemedicine platform.
OneSight
OneSight is a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that people around the world have access to eye exams and eyeglasses. Their mission statement reads: “OneSight is the independent nonprofit with the solutions, people and resources to eradicate the vision care crisis for good. We believe that when the world sees better, the world lives better—and that with clear vision, we can take on humanity’s greatest challenges.” Click here for more information.
