Worldwide, 450 million children suffer from vision problems due to the lack of access to proper eye care services. 40% of the causes of childhood blindness are preventable and/or treatable. This year World Sight Day, taking place on October 10th, is a call to action to prioritize children’s eye health across the globe.
Childhood development relies on the ability to see. Babies use sights and sounds to learn about their surroundings. They are unable to understand and voice their vision problems so early screenings of anyone 6 months or older are fundamental to uncover defects and disorders.
“We all know that in children an uncorrected vision impairment can severely impact their education. Research tells us that children with access to, and being prescribed spectacles can reduce failing rates by 44%. It is knowledge like this that has led us to make World Sight Day 2024 one for children around the world,” said Peter Holland, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) CEO.
Managed by the (IAPB) and advocated globally by more than 250 member organizations, World Sight Day is an annual celebration held on the second Thursday of October that raises awareness about the importance of eye health. Members worldwide pledge to educate people about vision impairment and prompt governments to allocate funds for national blindness prevention.
Pediatric eye care is the keystone of Optos. Optos founder Douglas Anderson set out to develop an advanced retinal imaging system after his five-year-old son Leif suffered vision loss from a spontaneous retinal detachment missed during standard examinations. Today, the use of ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging devices from Optos with optomap® technology work to discover and diagnose undetected pathologies in the periphery. optomap is the only technology that captures 200-degree UWF images in a single shot. The process is pain-free and takes just seconds. These images are essential in pediatric patients who have no symptoms of vision troubles.
Optos urges all eye care practitioners to advocate for children’s eye care services. Remind patients to maintain comprehensive, pediatric eye exams for early detection of issues and increased odds of correcting problems and preserving vision for years to come. If you would like to introduce optomap technology into your practice, contact us to schedule a demonstration to see the bigger picture.