World Sight Day 2016 launched

This year’s global fundraising initiative World Sight Day is officially launched today (1 July).

Organisers of the annual campaign in the UK, Vision Overseas (VAO), is calling on practices to get involved by pledging a donation from every pair of spectacles sold during October and by raising awareness among patients. 

Marking its 10^th anniversary, World Sight Day was established to raise awareness of vision impairment and blindness globally. This year the initiative will be celebrated on 1 October.

Last year more than 100 practices across the UK supported the annual initiative. However, organisers of the campaign believe that recognition of World sight Day is still relatively low compared in the UK in comparison to other parts of the world, particularly the US and Australia.

Executive director of VAO, Nigel Wilson, explained: “World Sight Day is an international fundraising campaign to raise awareness and funds for people who are needlessly blind or vision impaired simply because they can’t access an eye exam and vision care provided by an eye care professional.”

He emphasised that the charity is urging UK practitioners to support the initiaitve, for example, in helping children around the world gain access to much needed eye care, who could be struggling at school due to undiagnosed and uncorrected short-sightedness.

For more information and to get involved in World Sight Day visit the VAO website.