Fighting Blindness Canada urges all Canadians to schedule their regular eye exams to avoid blindness on this World Sight Day taking place Thursday, October 8, 2020.

World Sight Day is an international day of awareness, held annually on the second Thursday of October to focus attention on the global issue of eye health.

Today, 1 in 7 people in Canada will develop a serious eye disease in their lifetime. Every 12 minutes, someone in Canada begins to lose their eyesight. Furthermore, the prevalence of vision loss in Canada is expected to increase nearly 30% in the next decade.

The good news, thanks to research discoveries becoming today’s treatments, 3 in 4 cases of vision loss are preventable –if diagnosed early.

A 2018 survey, commissioned by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS), revealed the majority of Canadians (59%) experience symptoms of potential eye disease, yet only half (54%) reported they had seen a health care professional about these symptoms. This is particularly concerning as early detection is key in preventing eye disease from progressing or resulting in vision loss or blindness.

“This year’s World Sight Day is an important reminder to remain focused on your vision health. Even during uncertain COVID times, vision cannot be neglected,” says Doug Earle, President and CEO of Fighting Blindness Canada. He adds, “Eye specialists are working hard to reduce the risk of COVID-19 when you seek vision care.  Let’s make sure we all see each other on the other side of COVID-19.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

Each year, Calgary-based Operation Eyesight celebrates World Sight Day to bring awareness to the importance of making global eye health a priority. In 2020, World Sight Day takes place on October 8, with a theme of “Hope in Sight”.

This year, Operation Eyesight will be taking social media followers to visit their country offices, partner hospitals, board locations and corporate partners. Starting in India, participants will travel to Nepal, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, the U.K. and North America.

“This event will give people a unique opportunity to see over the course of one day how Operation Eyesight is preventing blindness and restoring sight for entire communities in need,” says Aly Bandali, President and CEO of Operation Eyesight.

Avoidable blindness is a global issue that has been made even worse by the strain COVID-19 has put on health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To mitigate this strain in the countries where they work, in March of 2020, Operation Eyesight shifted priorities by applying the organization’s systems and experience in providing quality eye care to meet the immediate need, providing education and supplies that limited the spread of COVID-19 in these communities.

Operation Eyesight works with local partner hospitals and governments, bringing sustainable, quality care to both paying patients and to those who cannot afford to pay. Operation Eyesight-trained community health workers go door to door in vulnerable communities, screening people for vision problems, referring them for treatment, and educating them on eye health and general health. Operation Eyesight first launched its Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Model in India in 2009, and has since expanded it to Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia.

With support from donors in Canada and beyond, Operation Eyesight has restored sight and prevented blindness for millions of people.

Click HERE for the full press release.