World Sight Day 2025: Theme, History and Significance

Vision loss has far-reaching impacts, affecting education, employment, mental health, and quality of life. Eye care is often side-lined, despite being central to one’s overall well-being. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people globally live with a near or distance vision impairment, and in over 1 billion of these cases, the impairment was preventable or unaddressed. The global economy loses an estimated US$ 411 billion annually in productivity due to vision impairment.

World Sight Day 2025 Theme

The theme #LoveYourEyes urges all individuals, to unite under three core actions:

• Check- commit to and facilitate regular eye examinations
• Protect- adopt vision friendly habits and early interventions
• Advocate- demand equitable, high-quality eye care services everywhere

Individuals are urged to prioritise regular eye check-ups and adopt preventive practices, like minimising screen time, using proper lighting, and wearing UV-protective eyewear.

History of World Sight Day

World sight day was first observed on October 12, 2000, under the VISION 2020 initiative to spread awareness about preventable blindness. World sight day is observed every year on the second Thursday of October to raise awareness about eye care and vision impairment.

Also Read: Ophthalmologist Shares 5 Common Glaucoma Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

Significance of World Sight Day

While eye care inequities remain a pressing concern, millions in rural and underserved communities still lack access to diagnostic services, trained personnel, or surgical interventions. Among the leading causes of vision loss are uncorrected refractive errors, cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and glaucoma. Recent studies show that diabetic retinopathy alone accounts for over 4 million people experiencing moderate-to-severe vision impairment or blindness.

Healthcare professionals, in turn, are encouraged to advocate for system-wide improvements that make eye care available across socioeconomic and geographic divides as Dr Chilukuri Sharat Babu, Chief Medical Director, Maxivision Super Speciality Eye Hospitals states, “Vision loss is no longer an inevitable part of ageing or disease-it is, in most cases, preventable or treatable with timely intervention. As eye care professionals, we are witnessing an alarming rise in conditions like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, many of which go undetected until irreversible damage has occurred. World Sight Day reminds us of the critical need for early screening protocols, especially in high-risk groups such as diabetics and the elderly. With advancements in retinal imaging, AI-assisted diagnostics, and tele-ophthalmology, we now have the tools to detect pathology at a much earlier stage. However, these technologies must be equitably distributed and integrated into primary care systems. Eye health is not a luxury, it is a fundamental human right, and protecting it should be a collective, global priority.”

Also Read: Can Looking at Screens Cause Myopia in Children? What Research Suggests

Why World Sight Day Matters

World Sight Day brings critical visibility to eye health, driving advocacy campaigns, policy commitments, civil society involvement, and increased funding support.

• Addressing Inequities in Eye Care Access- It highlights disparities in access to trained eye health professionals, diagnostic services, and treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Promoting Prevention of Avoidable Vision Loss- The initiative emphasises the importance of early detection of eye diseases and timely treatment for conditions like uncorrected refractive errors, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
• Integrating Eye Care into Universal Health Coverage (UHC)- It advocates for embedding eye health services into national health systems to enhance reach, cost-efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
• Empowering Individuals through Awareness and Action- By encouraging personal pledges and routine eye check-ups, the campaign fosters a culture of self-care and proactive vision management.

Each year, World Sight Day turns global attention toward eye health, a pillar of personal well-being that often remains overlooked. This year, World Sight Day 2025, is a call to action for individuals to take charge of their vision health. The campaign is not limited to a single day; aiming to collect one million pledges worldwide, pushing for accessible, affordable, and equitable eye care for all.