WORLD SIGHT Day (WSD) is observed annually on the second Thursday in the month of October. WSD is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment. It was originally initiated by the Sightfirstcampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.

This year, WSD is celebrated on Thursday, October 8, 2020 with the theme is ‘Hope in Sight’.

On this occasion, the SVG Eye Centre and Blue Hibiscus Optical share in the desire to provide Hope in Sight and would like to emphasize the importance of visual screening, which is a simple yet important measure for protecting vision.

To commemorate the objectives of WSD 2020 the SVG Eye Centre and Blue Hibiscus Optical hereby launch a weekly editorial on eye health.

SVG Eye Centre and Blue Hibiscus Optical aspire to captivate the interest of readers to want to be informed and actively participate in eye health for themselves and others.

It is to be noted, that around the World some 314 million people are visually impaired, of whom 45 million are blind.

A vision screening is an efficient eye exam. A child is “screened” for eye problems by a pediatrician, family physician, ophthalmologist or other properly trained health care provider and referred to an ophthalmologist for a comprehensive exam if needed.

Adults with no symptoms or risk factors for eye disease should get a baseline eye disease screening at age 40. Early signs of disease and changes in vision may start to occur at this age.

It is important that you consult your eye care provider for periodic eye checkups, and your ophthalmologist will indicate to you how often you will need to have follow-up exams based on the results of this screening. The Ophthalmologist will compare the results of your baseline screening to your future exam results.

As the quality of health care improves, life expectancy increases and individuals live longer thus more complications due to aging or comorbidities are observed and require management. Getting your eye health screening at 40 is much like mammograms at 40 or colon screenings at 50. Adults should take similar steps to maintain their eye health as they age.

The SVG Eye Centre and Blue Hibiscus Optical wishes all a very successful World Sight Day and we remain committed to providing the most UpToDate and Professional Eyecare services to the citizens of SVG.