World Sight Day provides an opportunity every year to focus attention on the importance of vision and eye health. This year it falls on 13 October 2022. ECOO has published this article and infographic explaining the importance of learning how to #LoveYourEyes.
Good vision lets people live an active and independent life. Having a regular eye exam should be common practice for people throughout Europe. Primary eye care professionals not only check how well a person can see but also that their eyes are healthy. They will look, among other things, at how both eyes work together and they will examine the inside as well as the surface of the eye. An eye care professional can help correct a person’s vision if needed and give advice on how to stop it from getting worse. And if necessary, they will also make referrals for medical attention.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) leads the annual #LoveYourEyes campaign for the sector and “encourages individuals to prioritise their own eye health whilst advocating for accessible, affordable and available eye care the world over”.
ECOO is a long-standing supporter of the campaign, highlighting the important role primary eye care professionals play in helping people look after their vision and eye health.
For most people, their first points of contact, if they have any concerns about their eyes, are opticians and optometrists. Professional advice from a qualified eye care professional is a valued and important service. Opticians and optometrists provide services that are easy to access and delivered on a sound educational basis. ECOO has developed the ECOO European Diploma in Optometry and the European Qualifications in Optics to offer a common and harmonised high standard across Europe.
We need decision makers and health planners to be actively aware of and support the role that opticians and optometrists play as part of primary care – providing convenient access in the community, optimising eye care in the health care system, giving professional attention to patients and improving eye health and vision for all. Recognition of the professions in all European countries is the basis to achieving the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness and visual impairment in Europe.
Learn about how to #LoveYourEyes and promote it among the general public, policy makers and other stakeholders using the ECOO infographic.