The United Nations Marks World Sight Day with First ‘Blurred’ Photo Exhibition
As the world prepares to mark World Sight Day on October 12, a photo exhibition displayed in the corridors of the United Nations headquarters in New York aims to highlight that accessible, available, and affordable eye health is essential to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in strengthening the delivery of eye care within Universal Health Coverage. The exhibition titled, ‘2030 IN SIGHT’, presents the world through the eyes of those living with avoidable sight loss and invites individuals to consider the direct implications avoidable and treatable eye health conditions have on individuals, their communities, and on accelerating progress toward the SDGs.
Each image focuses on a different SDG that relates to eye health, with several of the images being ‘blurred’ to mirror how they would be viewed by people with treatable eye conditions, for example, untreated cataract, untreated glaucoma, or untreated myopia. The exhibition, supported by WHO, the UN Friends of Vision group, and organised by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), will hang in the corridors of the UN from October 9-20 – for ambassadors and diplomats to view and be inspired to include eye care in national health plans and essential packages of care as part of their country’s journey towards universal health coverage.
The exhibition follows a meeting of world leaders, including Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal; and Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, who were joined by Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs from countries including Bangladesh, Portugal, Guyana, and Singapore. The meeting, held in the margins of the UN General Assembly and titled ‘The Value of Vision,' reported that unaddressed poor sight costs the global economy $411 billion in lost productivity each year and impedes a states’ ability to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities.
This year’s World Sight Day focuses on ‘Love Your Eyes at Work,’ a theme with a global concentration on eye health and the world of work. The exhibition at the UN references the theme, with two of the featured images focusing on SDG #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.