World Sight Day 2007

World Sight Day, 11th October 2007

World Sight Day 2007 focuses on Blindness and Childhood.

 

KEY MESSAGES

 

 Every 5 seconds someone in our world goes blind…

and a child goes blind every minute

 

 Almost 50 percent of the world's 1.4 million blind children

are needlessly blind

 

 Blindness in Children accounts for one third of the total

economic impact of blindness worldwide

 

KEY FACTS

VISION 2020: The Right to Sight programmes address blindness in children as a major public health priority

Almost 50 percent of the world's 1.4 million children living without sight are needlessly blind, from avoidable causes

The main causes of blindness in children are also causes of child mortality – up to 60% of children who lose their sight will die within a year

Survivors will spend 40 years without sight. Thus, blindness in children accounts for nearly one third of the global economic cost of blindness, though it represents less than 4% of the overall magnitude

Visual impairment in a child limits participation in opportunities for education and self-development

Over 90% of blind children receive no schooling and few are able to realise their full potential

Refractive errors are the most important cause of avoidable visual impairment in school-age children

Care before and after birth can help avoid blindness from malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency, conjunctivitis of the newborn and retinopathy of prematurity

Look after your child's sight – with vitamin-A rich foods, eye hygiene and safety

Glaucoma and cataract affect children too – but treatment is more challenging than in adults!

Early intervention is key to ensuring that children with eye problems have the best possible outcomes

Vision loss in a parent can turn a child into a carer, preventing access to education – vision care for the caregiver is care for the child

 

 

Dr Marwah