Eye health care also occurs in the workplace

Under the slogan “Love Your Eyes” – #LoveYourEyes – today, Thursday, October 12 degreesis celebrated World Sight Dayan event promoted since 2000 by Global Health Organization (World Health Organization) and International Agency for Prevention blindness (IAPB) to raise awareness among the population about Visual disabilityAnd prevention of blindness Rehabilitation Of people with visual impairment.

In this edition, the anniversary focuses on the importance of caring for humanity Eye health instead of jobhe urged business men Adopting eye health promotion measures as a common practice improves eye health Carethe protection And the productivity of millions of employees.

As the IAPB explains, “The first step is to take it priority For your eye health, we invite you to adhere to it #I like your eyes. The second is to motivate entrepreneurs around the world to facilitate Eye care Quality To the employees. From factories and office buildings to staff rooms and studios, let’s make sure your eye health is taken care of available Or Accessible and affordable For everyone”.

to more information About World Health Day 2023 click here.

I like your eyes

I agree with you Latest data To the World Health Organization, at least today 2.2 billion Of people with Deterioration From near or far vision. The deterioration that could be Averted Or not yet addressed, at least, 1000000000 Of these cases.

As the World Health Organization notes, “Among these billions of people, the leading causes of poor distance vision or blindness are: Waterfalls (94 million). Refractive errors Uncorrected (88.4 million), age-related macular degeneration (AMD8 million) Glaucoma (7.7 million) and Diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million). For its part, the main cause of deterioration in near vision is: Presbyopia (826 million).”

However, the distribution of these Diseases Ophthalmic lenses are not uniform across the world, and notable differences can be observed within the same country depending on the availability of ophthalmic lens services. attention The eyes, her Affordability The level of education of the population. Hence the spread Visual disability Which affects distance vision up to Four times larger In low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries, where diseases such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration are more common.

Likewise, it is estimated that the incidence of near vision deterioration is They do not receive treatment Exceed 80% In sub-Saharan Africa, this percentage is less than 10% In regions such as Western Europe, North America, Australia and Asia-Pacific.

In this context, it should be taken into account that although the majority of people with poor vision have blindness More than 50 yearsVision loss can affect people what age. And also that these problems can have High impact About all of life’s activities, including daily activities, social interactions, and opportunities Educational and work and ability to access public services.

All this without forgetting the enormous Economic load Globally associated with visual impairment. In fact, it is estimated that the annual costs are derived from Loss of productivity Associated with visual deficiency up to $411 billion Americans (in US dollars), a figure that far exceeds the expenditures required to meet these needs –25 billion From the US dollar.

For example, the World Health Organization states that there is only one case worldwide 36% For people who suffer from poor distance vision due to… Refractive error I had access to a suitable pair of glasses as well as just that 17% For people with poor vision or blindness due to Waterfalls They were able to reach A surgery Quality.

Hence the importance Considerate Eye health. Or what is the same, “I love your eyes”, suggested by the IAPB, in the last edition “4p” Essential for eye health carePrevention, protection, conservation and prioritization– Seeks employers’ commitment to protecting the eye health of their employees. Not in vain, around 160.7 million of people with moderate to severe vision loss are of working age.

Far from individual or “institutional” care, the Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed in Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly Adopting two new global targets for eye care by 2030: an increase in 40% In effective coverage of Refractive errors And an increase in 30% In coverage Cataract surgery. Objectives that will play a critical role not only in global eye health coverage, but also in a Improve access To care for quality.

– today, 18 associations dedicated to eye disorders They are already active members of Somos Pacientes. and yours?