Sept. 5, 2024 — Prevent Blindness, in collaboration with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and global partners, is preparing for World Sight Day on Thursday, Oct. 10. This year’s theme, “Love Your Eyes,” emphasizes the importance of children’s vision and eye health, and Prevent Blindness encourages participation from parents, eyecare professionals, and lawmakers to raise awareness about the importance of healthy vision and access to eye care.

In the lead-up to World Sight Day, Prevent Blindness has organized several events, including a vision screening and eye health education event in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 12, supported by the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington. The event will take place at the Rayburn Foyer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, followed by a congressional briefing focused on children’s vision and eye health from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET in Rayburn 2044.

Speakers at the congressional briefing include experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, and Johns Hopkins University. The briefing will also cover the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act, legislation aimed at improving children’s eye health through coordinated care, which has gained the support of more than 90 organizations.

In addition to the events in Washington, Prevent Blindness has partnered with the National Association of School Nurses to provide a World Sight Day toolkit for schools. The toolkit includes materials such as bookmarks, stickers, and educational handouts for “back-to-school night” events—resources designed aim to raise awareness about children’s vision issues and encourage local proclamations for World Sight Day.

Prevent Blindness is also working with Truffles the Kitty Organization to promote eye health through social media, focusing on amblyopia awareness and general children’s vision health. Additionally, Delta Gamma’s annual “Do Good Week,” from Oct. 9-16, in partnership with Prevent Blindness, will include educational resources for its members.

“World Sight Day provides a great opportunity to align with our partners all across the globe to collectively elevate discussions and bring awareness to the importance of healthy vision and the need for access to eye care for all, especially for our children,” says Prevent Blindness president and CEO Jeff Todd. “We encourage parents, professionals, lawmakers and all concerned citizens to join us for World Sight Day and make a positive difference in the lives of others through healthy eyesight.”