World Sight Day

8 October 2009

World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired held on the second Thursday in October. This year the focus is on eye health and equal access care.

Globally visual impairment is most prevalent in men and women 50 years and older: while the majority of eye conditions for this age group, such as cataract, can be easily treated, in some parts of the world there is still the need to ensure that women and men receive eye care services on an equal basis.

World Sight Day is observed around the world by all partners involved in preventing visual impairment or restoring sight. It is also the main advocacy event for the prevention of blindness and for "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight", a global effort to prevent blindness created by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

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