What World Sight Day means to ophthalmologists and optometrists

14 October 2022 marks the 22nd World Sight Day (WSD), an annual day of awareness, held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.

"This is a day where we focus the world's attention on the importance of eye care," Dr Constance Okeke, MSCE, of the Virginia Eye Consultants said.

Coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the international day of awareness is a reminder to "love your eyes."

As part of its efforts, the IAPB and its members are working together to increase public awareness on vision issues and blindness, calling for a focus on vision issues and eye health.

As part of the WSD campaign, IAPB urges eye care professionals, including ophthalmologists and optometrists, to get involved.

"I think it's a great way to advocate and communicate for our patients and for what we do as optometrists; we make a big difference in our communities, and to patients' lives, and I think all optometrists should be celebrating World Sight Day," said Dr Maria Sampalis, owner of Sampalis Eye Care in Cranston/Providence, Rhode Island.

Today, IAPB is promoting a global challenge to unite the world, bringing people across the globe together to have their eyes tested. This year, IAPB is leading the call for people to prioritize their eye health and asking the world’s leaders to ensure eye care is accessible, available, and affordable to everyone everywhere.

"World Sight Day means a little bit different for me, not being from here originally," Dr Adam Ramsey, co-founder of Black EyeCare Perspective, said. "Understanding that the gift that we have—in this wonderful country that we're living in right now—where there is access to care so readily available."