Seeing the importance of good vision

MANILA, Philippines - To help raise awareness on the importance of good vision, worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing ophthalmic lenses, Essilor, organized a series of events in some 50 countries to reach out to millions of people across the globe. These events aimed to promote consciousness of the significant socio-economic costs resulting from poor vision, compared with the advantages of correcting and preventing vision problems while it is still possible.

Taking it to the social media world, the #bettersightbetterlife campaign was also launched by Essilor in celebration of the recent World Sight Day.

Early detection of eyesight problems means being able to cure them before they even lead to severe conditions like blindness. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), about 285 million people across the globe live with visual impairment, yet 80% of these cases are readily treatable and/or preventable. With this comes World Sight Day’s call to action: No more avoidable blindness.

Because awareness is the first vital step towards combating poor vision, Essilor kicked off its campaign with eye check-ups and sight tests in public places around the world, from India and the United States to Croatia, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Being one in making the world a brighter place to live in, Essilor Philippines’ volunteer staff members in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Dagupan conducted a series of educational programs, as well as vision tests in different parts of the country. 

“The World Sight Day strengthens our advocacy, but Essilor doesn’t stop here,” remarked Dr. Emelita Roleda, general manager of Essilor Philippines. “Each day, our mission is to help people live better lives through better vision. Educating them about the importance of good eyesight is just the beginning and we hope to take it to another level in the succeeding years.”