‘We love our eyes’ wins World Sight Day photo competition

An image called ‘We love our eyes’ has been selected as the winner of this year’s Word Sight Day (WSD) photo competition.

The image was taken by Abdullah Almajed from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, and features two young boys laughing while wearing paper heart glasses.

The winner of the Amateur Photo of the Year was Namkhen Lama, from Tilganga, Nepal, for his image called ‘Post op visual test.’

The winning images were selected from over 600 photos submitted across dozens of countries.

Established in 2015, over the last nine years the WSD photo competition has “helped tell the story of eye care; the social and economic impact of having accessible, available and affordable eye care and the flip side,” organisers the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IABP) shared.

Reflecting on the annual competition, Fatima Zehar, Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT) programme manager for the inclusive eye health programme and WSD photo competition judge, said: “The quality, creativity and skillset all was amazingly beautiful. Every picture had a story behind it and serves as a powerful reminder to prioritise eye health, particularly for children – the future generations.”

Courtenay Holden, head of communications and campaigns for the IAPB, said, “Each year, we are continually inspired by the hundreds of beautiful submissions that capture the impact of sight loss and the importance of ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to the eye care they need. These photos truly celebrate WSD and the spirit of ‘Love Your Eyes,’ reflecting our shared commitment to eye care for all.”

“We are continually thrilled that so many talented photographers are keen to be part of the competition. We sincerely thank everyone who entered and congratulations to our incredible winners,” added Holden.

This year’s judging panel featured: Busisiwe Mzyece, Zimbabwe head of programmes for the Council for the Blind; Fatima Zehra, programme manager for the inclusive eye health programme at the LRBT; Lowri Moore, an author, ambassador, activist and IAPB Campaigner of the Year; Emily McCormick, editor of Optometry Today; and Michelle Sylvanowicz, global advocacy director of ophthalmology for Bayer.