World Sight Day is an international day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October. It is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and is the most important day on the eye health calendar. This year, the theme of World Sight Day is #LoveYourEyes, and we're asking all of you, our wonderful supporters and partners, to get your eyes checked.
World Sight Day 2021: Love Your Eyes
This World Sight Day, Orbis and the entire eye health community are asking you to show your eyes some love. Healthy eyesight brings better prospects for education, employment and social life no matter where you live, but this is especially true in the countries where Orbis works.
Why #Loveyoureyes?
Many people think an eye exam is only for getting a pair of glasses. But it’s about that and so much more. It’s about catching eye problems early – before they lead to vision loss. It’s about taking care of your eyes so that you don’t miss any of life’s important moments. An eye exam could show early signs of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy - all preventable, treatable or manageable conditions if caught early enough.
See the Bigger Picture
Here at Orbis, we believe that every person matters so we need to think not just about what we can do for our own eye health, but how we can support people around the world who don’t have access to good quality eye care.
NEARLY 1 BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD LIVE WITH VISION LOSS THAT'S ENTIRELY AVOIDABLE
9 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE WITH VISION LOSS LIVE IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES
Being unable to get care like a routine cataract surgery or a pair of glasses can keep a child from going to school, a woman from providing for herself and her family, and a man from seeing his grandchildren.
Access to quality eye care transforms lives. It can open doors for getting an education, reduce the likelihood of living in poverty, allow a person to gain financial independence, and create opportunities for families to thrive.
Every $1 invested in eye care in low- and middle-income countries is estimated to yield $4 in economic gain. This is the undeniable transformative ripple effect of building quality eye health systems and creating access to sight-saving eye care.
See What You'd Miss
This short public service announcement emphasizes the importance of getting your eyes screened and how, by looking after your eyes, you can help make sure you don't miss any of life's important moments.
From birthdays to graduations, from sunsets to the faces of your loved ones – see what you’d miss? Nearly everyone on the planet will experience an eye health issue in their lifetime, but not everyone will be able to get the care they need. But thankfully, Orbis is working hard to change this.
Stories From Around the World
Out of the 1 billion people living with avoidable vision loss, 33 million people are blind and a further 227 million have moderate-to-severe visual impairment - needlessly.
But there is hope. Thanks to the kindness of supporters like you, our wonderful partners and volunteers, the stories below show what can happen when you show your eyes some love.
Get Your Eyes Checked & Help Others Do the Same
While you go ahead and book your next eye exam, the Orbis family is helping millions of people access eye screenings in their community. Thanks to your support, we conducted 3.4 million eye exams in 2020 alone.
By training eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need, we’re ensuring that they can save sight in their communities now – and for generations to come.
When eye care professionals get the training they need, patients get the eye care they deserve.
Thanks for showing your eyes some love, and helping others do the same.
DONATE THIS WORLD SIGHT DAY
And help get eye care into the communities that need it most.