WORLD
SIGHT DAY:
MAKING EYECARE
ACCESSIBLE
WORLD SIGHT DAY 2015 IS ON 8 OCTOBER 2015.
DID YOU KNOW THAT IMPAIRED VISION IS STILL
THE WORLD’S LEADING PHYSICAL DISABILITY?
Of the 7.2 billion people on the planet, 4.3 billion are
affected, of whom 2.5 billion people do not benefit from
corrective solutions. However, tried and tested solutions
to correct eyesight already exist.
CHALLENGES
A number of barriers prevent one-third of all the people on earth
from the benefits of the basic visual correction they need. While accessibility and affordability are key challenges, the primary reason so
many people still lack vision correction is that they are not yet aware
they have a problem. They may never have had an eye test or even
experienced what it is like to see properly.
It is therefore of the utmost importance to both make people aware
that they need vision correction and that there are simple solutions
that can help them.
THE COST
Impaired vision impacts the ability of people to study, work, care
for their families, and ultimately contribute to the economy.
Worldwide, the loss of productivity is estimated at 272 billion dollars*.
For example:
60 per cent of road accident costs can be linked to poor vision 1 in 4
children around the world has problems at school as a result of
uncorrected vision
Vision problems increase the risk of falling with the result that
broken bones are seven times more likely in elderly people
22 Optical Prism | October 2015