World Sight Day 2024: Prioritising Child Eye Health for a Brighter Future

News | October 9, 2024

World Sight Day is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about eye health and the importance of preventing blindness and visual impairment. This year, as we focus on the theme of children’s eye health, it’s crucial to highlight the challenges faced by millions of children worldwide who lack access to eye care services. With 450 million children with eye conditions that need treatment and 40% of childhood blindness being preventable or treatable, there’s never been a more important time to address this critical issue.

The Need for Early Eye Screening in Children

For children, vision plays a vital role in learning and development. From reading textbooks to interacting with their peers, sight is central to a child’s ability to thrive in school and life. However, millions of children across the globe struggle with uncorrected vision problems due to the lack of access to affordable and available eye care services. In low- to middle-income countries, these challenges are even greater, where children with vision loss are two to five times less likely to attend school than their peers with good vision.

One simple, yet powerful intervention—early eye screening—can transform a child’s future. It ensures that vision problems are detected early and treated before they become more serious, preventing children from falling behind in school and in life.

A healthcare professional in a red CBM vest performs an eye examination on a young boy using an ophthalmoscope. The boy sits still as the professional carefully inspects his eye, with a focused light shining on the eye. Other individuals are visible in the background, indicating a clinical setting. — John Wilson Esebes (8, right) has bilateral cataracts. He lives with his family in a rural village of Kabankalan District, Southern Philippines. Here, Ophthalmologist Dr. Reden (in red CBM jacket) examines John’s eye after the eye-patch removal at the CBM partner Eye Hear Foundation’s clinic in Bacolod, Philippines.

Poonam Shah, CBM Global’s Inclusive Eye Health Advisor, says: “The visual system develops until about the age of 7 or 8. If we haven’t improved the vision by then, the vision stays stuck, and we can’t improve it.”

The Power of Glasses: A Simple Solution with a Huge Impact

Wearing glasses can dramatically improve a child’s ability to succeed in school. Research shows that providing glasses to children can reduce class failing rates by 44%. For children struggling to see the board, read books, or follow lessons, a simple pair of glasses can be life-changing.

Despite this, millions of children remain without the glasses they need due to a lack of access to eye care services. Many families in low-income areas simply cannot afford the cost of an eye examination, let alone a pair of glasses. CBM Global and our partners are working tirelessly to change this by providing eye health services that are inclusive and accessible to all children.

The Impact of Childhood Vision Loss

The impact of untreated vision problems extends beyond education. Children with vision loss in low- and middle-income countries are at a greater risk of social exclusion and are less likely to attend school compared to their sighted peers. Vision loss affects their ability to learn, interact with others, and build the confidence they need to participate fully in society. Without intervention, the cycle of poverty and exclusion continues.

Preventing and treating vision problems in childhood is not just about sight—it’s about giving children the opportunity to realise their full potential, academically and socially.

Poonam adds: “Children are our future. They need to be educated. They need to be able to see the board at school. They need to be able to interact with the world around them. This will help them build a good future.”

Inclusive Eye Health: CBM Global’s Commitment

CBM Global’s inclusive eye health programme ensures that children, especially those in low- and middle-income countries, receive the eye care they need. Through partnerships with local partners and organisations of people with disabilities, CBM Global is helping to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality eye screenings for children.

The organisation’s approach is rooted in inclusivity, ensuring that children with disabilities are also included in eye health initiatives. This is particularly important, as children with disabilities are often more vulnerable to exclusion from essential health services.

What You Can Do to Help

This World Sight Day, we invite everyone to play a role in promoting child eye health. Whether it’s spreading awareness about the importance of regular eye screenings or advocating for inclusive eye health services, every action counts.

Visit our Members’ pages to see how you can help: CBM Australia, CBM Ireland, CBM Kenya, CBM New Zealand, CBM Switzerland, CBM UK

Make a pledge to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Together, we can make a difference for children with vision problems. By prioritising child eye health, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to see the world clearly and reach their full potential.

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