World Sight Day 2017
Happy World Sight Day! Did you know that 80% of the world’s vision impairment is treatable and preventable? World Sight Day (#WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.
9 Facts About Vision Impairment:
- Approximately 285 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness
- Of these, 39 million people are blind and 246 million have moderate or severe visual impairment
- 90% of blind people live in low-income countries
- Yet 80% of visual impairment is avoidable – i.e. 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 mean that more people will be at risk of age-related visual impairment
Healthy vision is critical to fully experiencing the world around us, and World Sight Day is a reminder of the importance of scheduling regular eye exams for yourself and your loved ones. If your family is due for their annual check-up, please call our West Hollywood office at (323) 656-9550, or reach out via our Contact Page. Our experienced optometrists look forwarding to welcoming you.