World Sight Day being observed today

Kathmandu - The World Sight Day is being observed organizing various programmes across the country today. The day is being marked annually on the second Thursday of October. It is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment. It was originally initiated by the Sight First Campaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.

On the occasion, different organizations working for visual sight are organizing philanthropic activities including donating eyes, conducting operation to correct cataract and providing all kinds of eye treatment services. Sanu KC, information officer of Tilganga Eye Hospital, the hospital is conducting free of cost operation for 300 cataract patients. Various organizations are not conducting seminar and treatment camps due to COVID-19 outbreak and its effects across the world this year.

According to statistics, 105,000 individuals are visually impaired while 1 million 25 thousand are partially impaired in Nepal. Out of this, around 60 per cent low vision is found among women. Statistics show that 66 per cent blindness could be treated while 16 per cent could be prevented if treated in time. A survey conducted in 2014 says that 0.6 per cent children have blindness and of them 80 per cent could be treated. The experts further shared that of such blindness, 65 per cent are related to cataract in Nepal.