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October 09, 2008 is World Sight Day

It is a day to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.  Approximately 314 million people suffer from serious vision impairment. 45 milion are blind.  In  an effort to support this initiative I am bringing you this story.

The Joy of Reading – Restored!
India, South East Asia Region
An 81 year-old patient from South India was referred to the Low Vision Clinic from the Retina and Vitreous department of Aravind Eye Hospital, a tertiary eye care service provider in the state of Tamil Nadu. The patient, a retired judiciary Magistrate supported by his wife, was free of any systemic problems such as diabetes or hypertension, but he had come to Aravind complaining of progressive vision loss in both of his eyes. His visual acuity was 4/60, and he was diagnosed with age related macular degeneration (AMD), and no currently available treatment could be expected to restore his vision.
An avid reader since the days of his active professional life, when asked what his main limitation in life was due to the present eye problem, the patient said he wished he could still read for long hours as he used to do before. Equipped with the glasses, he was once again able to read news print with
the support of a CFL lamp providing focused illumination. The Patient found this optical aid very useful, and to the delight of his wife, the resumption of his reading habit brought back a smile to his face.

This typical example demonstrates the way ageing populations in developing countries could benefit from low vision services, and the need for low vision services as a part of eyecare delivery

World Sight Day