#LoveYourEyes in sight on World Sight Day
World Sight Day is the most important advocacy and communications day in the eye health calendar as it encourages people to be aware of eye care.
WORLD Sight Day is commemorated on Thursday, October 14.
According to the resident Optometrist at St John, Durban, Keshni Doorsamy, World Sight day is the most important advocacy and communications day in the eye health calendar as it encourages people to be aware of eye care. The even is held each year on the second Thursday in October.
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This year’s theme is Love your Eyes, and encourages people to be aware of their own eye health.
Doorsamy said 75% of the world’s vision impairment is avoidable and the focus, globally, is to encourage people to take an eye test.
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“Eye care issues have universal impact, especially at a time when we typically spend many hours looking at screens on devices, and when Covid-19 has made access to care a lot harder. Our eyes also tell us a great deal about other health issues,” she said.
In addition, she said St John, the oldest non-profit organisation in the world, has two eye care clinics in KZN: a shop in Pietermaritzburg’s Selgro Centre (361 Church Street) and in Durban (129 KE Masinga Road/Old Fort Road). The clinics provide professional eye testing and dispense budget spectacles.
“The global campaign has been encouraging people to take photographs to raise awareness around eye care issues and solutions, using the hashtag #LoveYourEyes,” she said.