World Sight Day 2022: Theme, history, significance and all you need to know

World Sight Day 2022: World Sight Day is observed every year on the second Thursday of October to raise awareness about vision impairment, vision care and other issues related to eyes. This year, the day is being observed today i.e. on 13 October.

World Sight Day 2022: Significance

According to World Health Organization (WHO), at least one billion people worldwide suffer from near or far-sightedness, which is either preventable or unaddressed. All facets of life, including daily routine, employment opportunities, and even the ability to use public services, can be significantly and permanently impacted by vision impairment and blindness.

This day is observed to increase awareness about the importance of eye health and to honor ophthalmologists - a medical professional who diagnoses and treats human eye and vision problems - who work tirelessly around the globe to combat the issue.

World Sight Day 2022: Theme

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IABP) has decided to continue using the slogan "#LoveYourEyes" for World Sight Day 2022.
The 'Love Your Eyes' campaign urges people to put their personal eye health first while fighting for globally accessible, reasonably priced, and readily available eye care.

World Sight Day 2022: History

One of the Lions Club International's most well-known and effective initiatives, "SightFirst," was established in 1990 to combat blindness caused by trachoma and other problems.

The primary goal of this campaign was to raise money for patients who are visually impaired. Over a billion people have benefited from this initiative worldwide. IAPB made the decision to observe World Sight Day on the second Thursday in October during this campaign.

World Sight Day 2022: Things to know

According to a fact sheet created by the WHO-

1. At least 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from near or distance-vision impairment.

2. Majority of those who are blind or have visual problems are over the age of 50 years. However, vision loss can affect anyone at any age.