World Sight Day 2025: “Everyone Counts, And Everyone Can See”

Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, PhD, MCOptom, AMRCO (UK)

By Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, PhD, MCOptom, AMRCO (UK)

World Sight Day is celebrated globally on the second Thursday of October every year to raise awareness about blindness and vision impairment. The initiative began in 2000, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under the global program “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.” The main goal is to promote eye health, prevent avoidable blindness, and encourage governments to prioritize vision care in public health agendas. Bangladesh started celebrating World Sight Day officially in 2001, in collaboration with National Eye Care (NEC) and IAPB Bangladesh Chapter, marking the country’s commitment to eliminating preventable blindness. Over the years, this day has become a platform for advocacy, awareness campaigns, free eye screenings, and community engagement toward a “world where everyone can see.”

World Sight Day 2025 calls for a renewed commitment to “Love Your Eyes at Work”, emphasizing the importance of protecting vision in daily life and workplace environments. Governments, institutions, and professionals must pledge to ensure universal access to quality eye care, promote early detection and treatment, and advocate for eye health inclusion in national health policies. Public awareness campaigns, vision screenings, and education about refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts are vital. As part of this commitment, Bangladesh must strengthen its national eye health strategy, develop sustainable training programs for optometrists, and expand community-based vision services to reach the underserved population.

Our eyes are our most valuable tools at work, whether in front of a computer, under bright lights, or in the field. Continuous screen use and poor ergonomics can cause eye strain, dryness, and blurred vision. To protect your eyes, follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Ensure proper lighting, maintain screen distance, and blink frequently. Use anti-glare lenses or protective eyewear if needed. Employers should arrange regular eye check-ups and promote vision-friendly workplaces. This World Sight Day, let’s commit to loving our eyes at work, because healthy vision means a productive life.

In Bangladesh, eye health education has evolved remarkably over the past three decades. In the early stages (before 2000), the focus was largely on ophthalmology services provided through hospitals and NGOs like Sight Savers, Orbis International, and Bangladesh National Society for the Blind (BNSB). Optometry was not yet recognized as a distinct profession, and refractive error correction remained neglected.

In the present era, Bangladesh has made significant strides. Several Public universities and Private institutions, including Chittagong Medical University, Rajshahi Medical University, now offer Bachelor of Optometry programs, producing qualified eye care professionals. The government’s National Eye Care Program (NEC) under the 4th Health, Population, and Nutrition Sector Program (HPNSP) is actively working to integrate optometrists into primary and secondary healthcare systems.

Looking toward the future, Bangladesh aims to establish a national optometry council, enhance clinical training, and encourage research in visual science and low-vision rehabilitation. Digital eye care, tele-optometry, and artificial intelligence in diagnostics will likely shape the next decade of vision care. A comprehensive national eye health policy that includes optometry as a core profession will be essential for achieving the country’s goal of reducing avoidable blindness by 2030.

To reduce curable blindness, Bangladesh must focus on three main strategies: early detection, accessible treatment, and public education. Establishing more primary vision centers in rural areas will ensure early identification of cataract, glaucoma, and refractive errors. Strengthening community-based screening programs, particularly for school children and the elderly, will significantly lower preventable blindness rates. Collaboration among government, NGOs, private hospitals, and international partners is crucial for providing surgery, spectacles, and medication at an affordable cost. Above all, incorporating optometrists into all tiers of the eye health system will play a vital role in achieving universal eye health coverage.

The frontline sight savers of Bangladesh include optometrists, ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, vision technicians, and community health workers. Among them, optometrists serve as the first point of contact, detecting and managing refractive errors, binocular vision anomalies, and low vision cases, ensuring early intervention and referral when needed.

Safeguarding the visual health of future generations requires comprehensive school eye health programs, parental awareness, and integration of vision screening in early childhood care. Regular eye check-ups for school-going children should become mandatory to identify myopia and other refractive errors at an early stage. The increasing use of digital devices among children necessitates education about screen-time management and visual hygiene. Encouraging outdoor activities for at least 2 hours daily, balanced nutrition with vitamin A-rich diets, and timely treatment of eye infections can protect young eyes. Empowering teachers and parents with knowledge about early signs of visual issues is equally important to reduce childhood visual impairment.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, has reached epidemic proportions globally, especially among school-age children. In Bangladesh, urban lifestyles and prolonged digital screen exposure have accelerated its prevalence. Prevention strategies include promoting outdoor play, limiting continuous near work, and using proper lighting during study hours. Modern myopia management techniques, such as orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses, low-dose atropine eye drops, bifocal and myopia control contact lenses, and special spectacle designs, have shown remarkable results in slowing myopic progression. Awareness programs targeting parents, schools, and pediatricians should be implemented to ensure early diagnosis and management. Incorporating myopia control into national school health programs will help minimize future visual disabilities.

Common eye problems in Bangladesh include refractive errors, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and age-related macular degeneration. Each condition requires distinct yet collaborative management between optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Optometrists play a pivotal role in primary vision care, performing refraction, vision therapy, contact lens fitting, orthokeratology, binocular vision assessment, and screening for ocular diseases. They provide preventive and rehabilitative services, manage functional vision disorders, and ensure patient education regarding visual ergonomics.

Ophthalmologists, as medical doctors and surgeons, handle diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, surgical interventions, and advanced medical management of eye conditions.

A collaborative approach between optometrists and ophthalmologists is essential for an effective referral system and holistic patient care. This partnership ensures early detection, proper treatment, and reduced burden of avoidable blindness across all regions of Bangladesh.

Preventable blindness remains a major public health challenge, yet it can be drastically reduced through collective action. Individuals can contribute by maintaining good eye hygiene, wearing proper spectacles, and attending regular eye check-ups. Teachers and parents should observe and report any visual difficulties in children. Communities must promote awareness through eye camps and media. Healthcare professionals, especially optometrists, have a duty to screen, counsel, and manage vision-related issues at the grassroots level.

At the policy level, the government should strengthen the National Eye Care Program, integrate optometry services in all primary healthcare centers, and allocate sufficient funds for vision research and outreach activities. Collaboration with international organizations like WHO, IAPB, Sightsavers, ORBIS, and WCO can provide technical support and training. Together, with a united national effort, Bangladesh can move closer to achieving Vision 2030, a nation free from avoidable blindness.

World Sight Day 2025 is not merely a symbolic observance; it’s a call to action for every stakeholder in Bangladesh to prioritize eye health as a fundamental human right. With sustained collaboration, community participation, and the integration of optometry into national health systems, Bangladesh can secure a brighter, clearer future for all,  where “everyone counts, and everyone can see.”

(Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, PhD, MCOptom, AMRCO (UK) Assistant Professor and Research Fellow (FHLS)

Management and Science University, Malaysia.)