The need for people to take good care of their vision has been emphasized as Optometrists in the state joined their counterpart globally to mark World Sight Day in Awka.

The event which took the optometrists along major streets in Awka,
where they create awareness and sensitize people on the need to take
care of their sight terminated at the Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka.

Speaking to the ABS at the School, the state Chairman of the Association, Dr. Chigozie Umeh said that the celebration is an annual event set aside to create public awareness of vision impairment and blindness as major public health issues.

The event was coordinated by the International Agency for Prevention
of Blindness in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

Dr. Umeh noted that the state chapter had taken second and third positions respectively in 2014 and 2016 in the National Optometrics Association Sight Day Celebration, adding that they had career talk with the students of Igwebuike Grammar School Awka where they advised the students to take optometry as a profession in future, as according to him, there is acute shortage of optometrists in the society.

The Chairman, Event Planning of the 2018 World Sight Day, Dr Victor
Ogo who is also a Principal Optometrist at the Guinness Eye Centre Onitsha described the Day as unique and worthwhile as he said it affords them the opportunity to educate and sensitize people on what they need to know about their eyes and gave free eye check and treatment to people, advising the citizenry to always report to an optometrist once they have any hit on their eye as it could lead to
total blindness.

Theme for this year’s World Sight Day was “Universal Eye Health, Eye Care Everywhere.”