World Sight Day Challenge this month

Optometry practices and optical companies can also be creative and engage patients, customers and staff with fundraising events throughout the Challenge period.This year Optometry Giving Sight will feature its new ‘people power’ wristbands as an easy way for patients, ployees and students to make a donation and participate in fundraising activities. Our hope is that everyone in our profession will be wearing our wristband on World Sight Day, Clive Miller, chief executive officer of Optometry Giving Sight, said. Preventable blindness is a solvable probl – and the World Sight Day Challenge is a great way for everyone to make a meaningful contribution and help to provide eye and vision care for all people. WSD is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. It is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness under the Vision 2020 Global Initiative. It is supported by eye-health organizations around the world – including Optometry Giving Sight – and is included on the official World Health Organization calendar. This year’s WSD is on 10 October.2013 is an important year for WSD, as it will mark the launch of a new WHO Action Plan on the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment for 2014-19.In keeping with the main thrust of the new Action Plan, the the for World Sight Day 2013 is: ‘Universal Eye Health’. There will also be a specific call to action: ‘Get your Eyes Tested’.Optometry Giving Sight’s major fundraising campaign for the year is the World Sight Day Challenge, which is now in its 7th year.To make your donation or register to fundraise, visit www.givingsight.org or call 1300 881 073.