285 million people worldwide living with low vision, blindness

KUCHING: World Sight Day ( WSD) is part of Vision 2020 Global Initiative coordinated by the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness ( IAPB).

Its goal is to create awareness on blindness and impaired vision, given that 285 million people worldwide are living with low vision and blindness.

Held annually in Oct, WSD is themed around universal eye health and this year the slogan is ‘Stronger Together’.

This slogan could not be any more appropriate as there has been collaborative effort by Klinik Mata Hospital Umum Sarawak, Klinik Kesihatan Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Society for the Blind Kuching Branch (SSBKB) and Committee on Wellness and Prevention of Blindness (CWPOB) to organise a free vision screening and health check event for the public in conjunction with World Sight Day 2016.

Together, the involved parties intend to raise public awareness on blindness and vision impairment as a major international public health issue.

It is also hoped that target audiences can be educated about prevention of blindness. Up to 80 per cent of visual impairment is avoidable.

The more common causes of visual impairment include cataracts, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive error and diabetic retinopathy.

Also to note, 65 per cent of all visually impaired people are aged 50 and older. These all become risk factors, especially when there are other health issues at play such as diabetes.

Global statistics from the IAPB show that the number of people going blind from infectious causes have reduced significantly in the past 20 years.

Restoration of sight and prevention of blindness strategies are among the most cost- effective interventions in healthcare.

On Sunday ( Oct 2) head over to Summer Mall between 10am to 2pm for free vision screening and health check.

There qualified ophthalmologists, optometrists and nurses from the public and private sector will perform health assessments.

There will also be a musical performance by a Blind Band and a massage demonstration courtesy of SSBKB.

The Klinik Katarak 1 Malaysia ( KK1M) bus will be on site in support of the event.

The KK1M bus is an outreach cataract service from the Ophthalmology Services of the Ministry of Health, which has restored eyesight for many of the rural population in the past three years.