World Sight Day is a global initiative taken up by the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). It is a day to spread awareness on the importance of eye care, health of eyes, blindness –causes, preventive measures and treatments to delay the onset of blindness in individuals.
World Sight Day 2021
When is World Sight Day? This year, World Sight Day will be observed on 14th October 2021. Usually, it is celebrated on Thursday that comes in the second week of October. To create awareness about eye care, spread publicity on vision blindness and treatments involved in curing eye impairments, or the International Agency (IAPB) to prevent blindness organises many special events on this day. IAPB is the main co-coordinator of events on World Blindness Day and offers individual organisations the freedom to set up celebrations and activities for themselves.
World Sight Day 2021 – History
The IAPB is an international organization and has made many achievements in its journey so far. One of the milestones they have set for themselves is “VISION 2020”. It helps create widespread publicity on preventing blindness by offering valuable resources and propaganda content. Other organizations that are suitably concerned with eye disorders can openly reach the organization and take inspiration from them.
The year 1990 saw a spurt in the need to spread awareness on eye care and eye-related problems. Hence, the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) took measures and started a campaign named “SightFirst”. The name itself suggests the intensity with which LCIF initiated its events to avoid a section of blindness that could be prevented with some care and concern.
They took up the next batch of work towards eyesight donation awareness and sight restoration through corrective surgeries and medical procedures. Primarily, the LCIF aimed in the initial years for developmentally oriented programs. They reached out to problems that could avert a possible future blindness condition in people.
The leading hand out in this regard was to tell people about the possible reasons for blindness. Hospitals that needed aid to provide cost-effective treatments to needy patients were offered help too. Medication kits were distributed amongst the needy; particular concerns were taken for high-risk eye conditions. Till now, more than 30 million people across the world have benefited from their continued efforts.
World Sight Day 2021 Theme
2005 was the year that first started with a theme on the event of World Sight Day. It read “The Right to Sight” to signify the importance of eyesight for all living creatures.
The theme for World Sight Day 2021 is undecided yet. The year 2020 focused on the theme named ‘Hope in Sight’. The VISION 2020 accomplishment brightens up this year, and folks worldwide are hopeful of having lived by their commitment to bring in awareness on eye health.
The theme for World Sight Day 2019 was ‘Vision First’.These two words were powerful enough to capture the intensity with which the theme was set.
In 2018, eyecare outreach was bigger and better; hence the theme appropriately quoted “Eyecare Everywhere”. In 2017, the theme was “Make Vision Count”.
Significance of World Sight Day 2021
The colourful world around us would remain a pale something without the gift of eyesight. Nature has provided the vision to all living creatures to see, observe, analyze with our keen eyes. World Vision Day is an important day in advocating policies towards the better health of our eyes. For promoting better principles and healthcare policies exclusively for eyesight, communication is vital.
When people realize the need to enhance their hygiene and apply the same to eye care, many infections could be kept at bay. Age-related eye complications are common in most human beings and other animals. So preventive measures and the right diagnosis are essential. Some of the common issues with the older generation include myopia, diabetes-induced problems like retina therapy.
Every age has explicitly its own set of eye problems and issues, which could worsen eye conditions and lead to permanent eye loss if not addressed. This includes cataract diseases, errors due to refractive problems, glaucoma etc. The best medical advice for maintaining good health of the eyes is to go in for a regular eye check-up at specialist enters. For all these complications and more, awareness is necessary and the need of the hour.
World Sight Day 2021 Celebration
There are many ways how World Sight Day is celebrated around the world. Here are a few highlights of events that happen at various places:
- Eye Donation pledge events mark the most critical set of events for the day. Eye doctors, ophthalmologists, and specialists worldwide spread messages to pledge eyes so we could colour somebody else’s world when our own is no longer in use.
- Awareness meets, and panel discussions by experts on good quality eye care are held commonly in many places.
- Eye hospitals organize free eye check-up camps. These camps would socially be focussed on the poor, needy and aged citizens.
- Online communities are encouraged to take part in active contribution through social media discussions and engagements. Eye doctors conduct Webinars to discuss recent developments in eye care and specializations in surgeries.
Let us come together and provide valuable information to our near and dear ones about the need for eye care and brighten everybody’s lives.