World Sight Day
| World Sight Day | |
|---|---|
| Official name | World Sight Day |
| Also called | WSD |
| Type | International |
| Significance | Raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment, influence Governments/Ministers of Health to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programmes and educate target audiences about blindness prevention |
| Observances | Focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment |
| Date | Second Thursday of October every year |
| First time | 12 October 2000 |
World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment. It was originally initiated by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.
It has since been integrated into VISION 2020 and is coordinated by IAPB in cooperation with the World Health Organization.
The theme for World Sight Day 2014[1]—held on October 9, 2014—was "No more Avoidable Blindness".
It took place on the second Thursday in October 2014.[2]
World Sight Day, 2000–present
The following table shows the themes (or ‘call to actions') of each World Sight Day since 2000.[3]
| 2000 | no theme |
| 2001 | no theme |
| 2002 | no theme |
| 2003 | no theme |
| 2004 | no theme |
| 2005 | The Right to Sight |
| 2006 | Low Vision |
| 2007 | Vision for Children |
| 2008 | Fighting Vision Impairment in Later Life |
| 2009 | Gender and Eye Health |
| 2010 | Countdown to 2020 |
| 2011 | no theme |
| 2012 | no theme |
| 2013 | Universal Eye Health |
| 2014 | No more Avoidable Blindness |
| 2015 | Eye care for all |
| 2016 | Stronger Together |
| 2017 | Make Vision Count |
| 2018 | Eye Care Everywhere |
| 2019 | Vision First |
| 2020 | Hope In Sight |