Children with their white canes in Pakistan, World Sight Day 2009 © Muhammad Bilal / Sightsavers

World Sight Day 2009

The theme of World Sight Day 2009 (WSD09) was:

Gender and Eye Health - equal access to care

Global Key Messages for WSD09

• Nearly two-thirds of blind people worldwide are women & girls
• In many places, men have twice the access to eye care as women
• Equal access to eye care could substantially reduce blindness in poor countries*
• Simple and effective strategies can and do successfully address this inequity inVISION 2020 programmes
  
  Don't forget:
• 80% of blindness is avoidable - either treatable, curable or preventable
• 90% of blind people live in low-income countries
• Cataract is the leading cause of blindness - yet it is curable by a simple, cost-effective operation
• 8 million people worldwide are blind due to uncorrected refractive errors. A simple sight test and glasses could restore sight to most of these people

Sightsavers' events for World Sight Day 2009

In Nigeria a cataract outreach programme which identified and referred people requiring cataract surgery was filmed by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The resultant documentary will help raise awareness of the availability and accessibility of cataract services.

Sightsavers in Pakistan organised seminars to raise awareness on eye health where held and white canes were distributed to children who had recently been screened.

In Uganda an awareness march was attended by the President, who pledged to support eye care and services for the visually impaired. Entertainment on the day was provided by children from Salaama School for the Blind, which was built after the President pledged to build four schools for children with disabilities in his 2001 presidential campaign.

People turned our in their droves to visit health workers posted at railway stations throughout the Indian city Mumbai. An incredible 3,476 people had their eyes checked during the three days, and a further 1,328 people were screened on World Sight Day itself. Find out more.

Around 200 Haitian and Canadian eyecare specialists examined 4, 237 people across Haiti, distributed 918 glasses and carried out 92 surgeries.

Over in Bangladesh the telecommunications giant Grameenphone organised eye screenings in five clothes factories, three schools and of its own staff and customers in Dhaka City. Find out more.

The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired's national eye clinic hosted an open day where guests received free eye testing, discounts on frames, a tour of the clinic, and information on services. A tree was planted to mark the event.

In Zambia 200 people took part in 5km walk through capital Lusaka accompanied by the tuneful sounds of Zambia's Police Brass Band.

In Kenya US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger was present for a procession through Sotik Township and treated to displays and exhibitions made by people with visual impairment.

A brand new operating theatre was opened in Tanzania who also launched a health programme targeting children's eye health.