World Sight Day 2023: HCP Cureblindness spotlights avoidable blindness

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HCP Cureblindness (Himalayan Cataract Project) is celebrating World Sight Day by bringing attention to avoidable blindness globally to help individuals in developing countries retain and regain their sight.

Held the second Thursday of each October, World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.

In a press release, HCP announced it will also be supporting the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) #LoveYourEyes at Work campaign, which encourages workplace vision screenings globally.

Fourty-three million people globally are blind, while another 295 million suffer from moderate-to-severe vision impairment, stated HCP in the release. Furhermore, 90% of these individuals live in low-to-middle income countries.

According to the release from HCP, vision loss causes over $400 billion in lost productivity annually and reduces employment. In people with blindness or moderate-to-severe vision impairment, overall reduction in employment is 30%. While the risk of premature mortality is 157% higher for people with blindness and 49% higher for people with vision loss that is moderate to severe or worse.

"This World Sight Day, HCP is shining a light on why avoidable blindness can – and must – be overcome," said K-T Overbey, HCP's CEO. "For more than 25 years, HCP has worked alongside a capable network of collaborators to help people globally retain and regain their sight by developing high-quality, cost-effective eye care systems in underserved areas of the world."

HCP states the solution lies in cataracts and corneal blindness awareness. “With early detection and treatment, the impact of many causes of blindness can be treated – and often cured – improving the quality of life for those individuals affected,” said the organization in the release.

According to the release, almost half of all blindness is due to cataracts, and there are millions who suffer from corneal blindness which, in most cases, is preventable or treatable.

References:

1. World Sight Day is October 12, 2023 - HCP Cureblindness Shines Light on Avoidable Blindness and Its Mission to Help Individuals in Underserved Countries Retain and Regain Their Sight. Press Release. Released October 5, 2023. Accessed October 9, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-sight-day-is-october-12-2023---hcp-cureblindness-shines-light-on-avoidable-blindness-and-its-mission-to-help-individuals-in-underserved-countries-retain-and-regain-their-sight-301947960.html