| World Sight Day | |
|---|---|
| Official name | World Sight Day |
| Also called | WSD |
| Type | International |
| Observances | Focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment |
| Date | Second Thursday of October every year |
| First time | 12 October 2000; 24 years ago (12 October 2000) |
World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention to 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 the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in cooperation with the World Health Organization.
The theme for World Sight Day 2014—held on October 9, 2014—was "No more Avoidable Blindness".
It took place on the second Thursday in October 2014.
World Sight Day, 2000–present
The following table shows the themes (or "calls to action") of each World Sight Day since 2000.
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2021 | Love Your Eyes |
| 2023 | Eye Care in the Workplace |
| 2024 | Children, Love Your Eyes |
References
- "IAPB Website, September 2014". Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
- "World Sight Day".
- "World Sight Day Themes". Archived from the original on 2016-11-19. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
- "World Sight Day 2024: "Children, love your eyes"". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-10-07.