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World Sight Day to focus global attention on vision impairment
Thursday October 9th 2008 will be officially designated World Sight Day — an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.
80% of people living with blindness are over 50. But three-quarters of world blindness could be prevented.
Global Key Messages for World Sight Day 2008
- The world’s populations are aging - aging populations and lifestyle changes mean that chronic blinding conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are now rising
- Risks of cataract, glaucoma and other eye diseases greatly increase with age
- 80% of blind people are over 50 years old
- 90% of blind people live in low-income countries, with limited access to treatments that can cure cataracts, glaucoma and refractive error — three of the major causes of blindness worldwide
- Healthy eyes help active aging, which helps active older people to live longer
- Timely intervention can preserve sight, so get your eyes tested regularly!
World Sight Day provides a platform for the work of Vision 2020, an international collective of non-profit organizations, professional associations and eye care institutions coordinated in part by the World Health Organization.
Source: Vision 2020