13th October 2011 is World Sight Day so the Global Health Gateway will carry this focus on 'Eye Health' throughout the month! Read more about World Sight Day below, revisit previous Feature Articles and join discussion on the Forum.
The World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness together form Vision 2020; a global initiative advocating for the prevention of avoidable blindness. Headlining their yearly calendar is World Sight Day on the second Thursday of October each year, which aims to promote visual impairment and blindness as major global public health concerns which require the attention of the public, the health sector and government bodies.
While there have been significant improvements in the rates of visual loss due to infectious disease, visual impairment and blindness remains a significant global public health concern, one that is often overlooked. The burden of visual impairment can be difficult to appreciate from the comfort of a developed nation perspective, perhaps because there is revenue for investment not only in treatment but also in educational, social and occupational rehabilitation for those affected. In settings with limited resources, blindness is often both consequent to and cause of socio-economic disadvantage. Without the infrastructure to support those affected, educational opportunities, employment prospects and even social interactions are limited.
There are still 284 million people estimated to be affected by visual impairment or blindness globally, with the majority of cases occurring in the developing world. This is despite the fact that nearly 80% of these cases are avoidable, while sight restoration and blindness prevention strategies are considered some of the most cost-effective interventions in health care.
In recognition of World Sight Day 2011, this month we will be featuring the story of Kerryn Hart, an optometrist from Victoria who has worked in a variety of developing world settings, most recently as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development in Cambodia. Watch this space for an upcoming profile on the Fred Hollows Foundation, and more information on international ophthalmology training opportunities.
> Find out more about World Sight Day 2020
> Find out how you or your institution can get involved in Vision 2020
