World Council of Optometry

8 October 2009

“GENDER AND EYE HEALTH”
World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Included on the official World Health Organization (WHO) calendar, WSD is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under the VISION 2020 Global Initiative, which is a 50:50 global health partnership between IAPB and WHO. The theme and certain core materials are generated by IAPB while all events are organised independently by members and supporters.

The theme for World Sight Day 2009 is “Gender and Eye Health”; it recognises that:

1. Two-thirds of blind people worldwide are women & girls
2. In many countries, men's access to eye care is twice that of women
3. Effective strategies can and do successfully address this inequity

There is good evidence that in most developing countries, women are less likely to receive eye care services than men, particularly services that will prevent or treat blinding conditions. Added to the fact that women comprise more than half of the elderly population, and that the natural incidence of some blinding diseases (cataract and trachoma) is higher among women than men, this results in a situation where women account for 60-65% of blind people worldwide. These facts are not well known. We need to increase global awareness of the problem. Many organisations, including IAPB member INGDOs and their partners, are working to develop strategies which address issues relating to gender & eye health. This year’s World Sight Day report explores the many ways gender roles in society impact eye health.

Do log on to the VISION 2020 website, www.vision2020.org for more information on events, activities and materials in preparation for World Sight Day 2009. If you are planning any events to increase awareness on gender and eye health please send details to VISION 2020 through the contact section of the website.