The second Thursday of October is World Sight Day, an opportunity to highlight the importance of protecting our eyes and vision, raise awareness of vision impairment and blindness, and promote eye and vision care. On 10 October 2024, WHO/Europe draws specific attention to child eye health. Eye health services should be accessible, available and affordable for all children.
While uncorrected vision impairment may impact education and social inclusion, simple solutions such as spectacles can make a world of difference. In May 2024, WHO launched the global SPECS 2030 initiative to ensure access to quality, affordable spectacles and related people-centred services for everyone who needs them.
World Sight Day is also an opportunity to debunk myths regarding vision and move towards a world where all children are free from social stigma associated with wearing spectacles or other corrective interventions for their eyes and vision.
Protecting the vision of our future generations
Research shows that reducing screen time and spending time outside protects children from developing short-sightedness (myopia), which means that parents, caregivers and educators have a central role to play in protecting the vision of our future generations.
Regular eye and vision checks can help to identify issues at an early stage. WHOeyes is a free app that allows for vision testing in the comfort of home. The accuracy and usability of the app were tested in 3 separate research studies. WHOeyes is suitable for people aged 8 years and older. WHOeyes is available in 14 languages, for both iOS and Android mobile operating systems.
Restoring a person’s sight with a pair of spectacles or with cataract surgery is among the most cost–effective health interventions. Yet it is currently estimated that in the WHO European Region, on average less than 40% of those who would benefit from cataract surgery have received it and achieved good outcomes as a result. Effective refractive error correction is more common, but still only covers 64% of those in need in the WHO European Region.
World Sight Day can serve as a reminder that adults should prioritize their eye health, too. It is important to take regular breaks during activities such as reading or using digital devices, and wear eye protection when using tools and chemicals that could damage the eyes. Smoking and UV exposure should also be avoided, for example, by wearing sunglasses and hats when outdoors, to prevent eye diseases.
On World Sight Day, let’s make a pledge to protect the eyes of children, for good eyesight now and tomorrow.