World Sight Day 2023 to focus on eye health at work

World Sight Day 2023, taking place on 12 October, will focus on the importance of prioritising eye care in the workplace.

Led by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the theme for the awareness day will be #LoveYourEyes at Work, and will seek to highlight the role everyone can play in making eye care a priority in workplaces.

Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB, said: “We know that the world is a safer, more productive place when eye health is prioritised.”

“The research paints a clear picture of the impact eye care has on the workforce,” Holland continued. “For example, correcting vision with glasses increases productivity by more than 20%, decreases rates of early retirement, and results in safer drivers.”

With this in mind, IAPB wish to “address the gap in understanding that eye care is an important investment that makes positive, measurable differences to employees and employers,” he said.

Opportunities to get involved in the awareness day include a global challenge for workplaces to screen the eye health of employees, and encouraging employees to discuss any eye care they are entitled to with their human resources representative. 

If eye care is not an employee benefit, IAPB will be providing tools to help employees champion its inclusion.

Individuals and businesses will be invited to pledge to #LoveYourEyes in the run up to the awareness day, and the World Sight Day Photo Competition also returns, with a launch in July.

Assets to join in the campaign activity can be found on the IAPB website.

Holland concluded: “We know that we are louder when we come together. Therefore, I invite everyone to join us this World Sight Day, make the campaign your own, be bold, and create a movement that cannot be overlooked.”

The campaign is supported by global partners, AbbVie, Bayer, CBM, Horizon, Hoya, National Vision, Novartis, Roche and Seva Foundation.