In 2012, World Health Organization (WHO) has summarised various population-based vision screening surveys from 39 countries worldwide, and estimated that 285million of the people in the world are visually impaired (defined as having presenting vision equal to or less than 30% of normal vision), while 39million are blind (defined as having presenting vision equal to or less than 5% of normal vision). Such figures showed that there are still large numbers of people live under darkness.
2017 World Sight Day
Every second Thursday of October has been named as World Sight Day since 2000 (10th of October will be the World Sight Day of 2017).
From September to October, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, WHO and other organisations will hold a series of events to raise public awareness of vision impairment and blindness as major international public health issues. The international key messages they would like to deliver this year are as follows:
- Approximately 285 million people worldwide live with vision impairment. Of these, 39 million people are blind and 246 million have low vision
- 90% of blind people live in low-income countries
- 80% of visual impairment is avoidable, readily treatable and/or preventable
- Restorations of sight, and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care
- The number of people blind from infectious causes has greatly reduced in the past 20 years
- An estimated 19 million children are visually impaired
- About 65 % of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and older, while this age group comprises only 20% of the world’s population
- Increasing elderly populations in many countries means that more people will be at risk of age-related visual impairment.
Orbis and Darkness to Go Campaign
Orbis is an international non-profit non-governmental organization. Its mission is to eliminate preventable blindness. It also aims at enhancing the skills of eye care personnel in developing countries, in a bid to enable the local partners to know how to provide affordable, convenient, and sustainable quality eye care services.
Since 1982, Orbis has carried out programs in 92 countries, provided treatment to more than 23.3 million blind and visually impaired people, and enhanced the skills of more than 325,000 eye care professionals.
Each year, Orbis will hold different events in Hong Kong and worldwide from September to October for supporting the World Sight Day.
Darkness to Go Campaign is one of the events. During this campaign, different shopping malls, retailers and manufacturers will select “items in black” for charity sales, and donate part or all of the sales proceeds to Orbis.
Swisscoat Vision Centre is always concerned with your eye health and hopes to use this opportunity to restore vision to the blind by supporting Orbis Darkness to Go campaign.
Swisscoat will donate $50 for every purchase of Swisscoat Transitions StressFree SF Blue-Light Filtering Lenses in Swisscoat Vision Center during the campaign period from September 1 to October 12, 2017. Hope you all can actively participate in this charity event, and bring light to those who are in need for help.
By Paco Chan, Registered (Part I) Optometrist
Eyecare information by Swisscoat Vision Centre
Address : G/F Yuen Yick Building, 27-29 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Appointment :+852 3579 4763
Website : www.swisscoat.com