#LoveYourEyes on World Sight Day today
The #LoveYourEyes campaign, run by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is taking place today – on World Sight Day (Thursday 14 October).
People worldwide are being encouraged to join the three million already taking part and get their sight tested, in a bid to make people aware of their eye health. The aim is to engage people with their own eye health, and build awareness of the 1.1 billion people around the world who live with preventable sight loss but have no access to eyecare services.
Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB, said “The success of this year’s World Sight Day and our Love Your Eyes campaign has been unparalleled, and I’ve been delighted and proud of what we have done together.
“Every test pledged, every screening held, and every social media message sent has meant that we were able to reach more people than ever before with over three million pledging to love their eyes. But the scale of the challenge we face is immense. The pandemic struck a massive blow to global eye health, and we must continue to act to save millions from unnecessary blindness.”
As part of the campaign, sight tests have been carried out at landmarks around the world including the Giza Pyramid Complex, Mount Everest, Gateway to India, Santa Barbara beach, Tower Bridge and more to raise awareness.
The campaign is also being supported by the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the UK whose members include Microsoft, Esports, and Nintendo. Xbox is also marking the day with content geared towards blind and low vision gamers.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting the campaign, encouraging people to get sight checked and offering advice on how to #LoveYourEyes.
Alarcos Cieza, WHO unit head for vision, disability and rehabilitation, said: “The last year has been incredibly tough on people, and it has been tough on their eyes too. We have found ourselves spending more time looking at screens, spending less time outside, and we have also had to miss sight check-ups. However, there are a few easy things we can do to show our eyes and our loved ones’ eyes, especially our children’s, some extra care.
“Firstly, book an eye test. Prevention really is better than cure and an eye test often helps detect issues (beyond just your eyesight) before you may notice them yourself. Secondly, follow the 20-20-20 rule. This means taking a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes when using devices.
“Thirdly, encourage your child (children) to play outside regularly and spend at least 90 minutes each day outside. This will give your child a screen break and allow them to focus on different distances and spend time in natural light which can help keep your child’s eyes healthy.
“Finally, it is important to wear your glasses as instructed by your eye health professional. It isn’t true that glasses make your vision worse. They will not only help to see clearly but help prevent eyes from straining to see things.”
Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB, said “The success of this year’s World Sight Day and our Love Your Eyes campaign has been unparalleled, and I’ve been delighted and proud of what we have done together.
“Every test pledged, every screening held, and every social media message sent has meant that we were able to reach more people than ever before with over three million pledging to love their eyes. But the scale of the challenge we face is immense. The pandemic struck a massive blow to global eye health, and we must continue to act to save millions from unnecessary blindness.”
#LoveYourEyes