World Sight Day is celebrated every second Thursday in October.

10 October 2024

World Sight Day is a date of great relevance, promoted by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of visual health and the prevention of blindness and visual impairment. This day becomes a global call for people, institutions and governments to take action in favor of healthy and accessible vision for all.

Vision is one of the most valuable senses, and maintaining good visual health is essential for quality of life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people in the world live with some form of visual impairment, of which more than half could have been prevented or have not yet been treated. This makes visual health an urgent public health issue with great impact on a global level.

World Sight Day seeks not only to raise awareness about these problems, but also to highlight possible solutions, such as access to eye care, the use of corrective glasses, and the availability of surgeries for treatable conditions such as cataracts and refractive errors.

One of the fundamental pillars of this celebration is prevention. Many of the diseases that affect vision, such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, can be prevented or treated if detected early. Regular eye exams play a crucial role in identifying vision problems early, especially in vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Individual participation is also key on this day. Below are some simple steps you can take to take care of your eye health and contribute to raising awareness:

1. Have regular eye exams, especially if you have a family history of vision problems.

2. Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses with UV protection.

3. Reduce screen time and follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, focus your eyes on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

4. Maintain a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables that contain nutrients beneficial for the eyes, such as vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin.

5. Share information about the importance of eye health on your social networks so that more people take care of their eyes.