In Bangladesh, about 400 people from DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services), NIO (National Institute of Ophthalmology), INGOs including Heart to Heart Foundation Bangladesh, and donors specialized eye care hospitals and partner organizations are involved in the WSD 2015 celebration. ProgramWorld Sight Day (WSD) is being observed annually on the second Thursday of October to raise awareness on blindness and vision problems impairment globally. It is an event for the eye health care service providers to engage with patients, community and policymakers at large, and to showcase why eye health needs everybody’s attention. The WSD 2015 call to action was “Eye care for All”

In Bangladesh, about 400 people from DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services), NIO (National Institute of Ophthalmology), INGOs including Heart to Heart Foundation Bangladesh, and donors specialized eye care hospitals and partner organizations are involved in the WSD 2015 celebration. Programs included colorful rally and discussion session at the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital in Dhaka to mark the day. Heart to Heart foundation also participated in the WSD 2015 campaign as one of Bangladesh INGO forum member. Moreover, through the discussion with NIO director, we can share lots of things for eye health prevention plan in Bangladesh.

In discussion session, the speaker said that a total of 7.5 hundred thousand people is suffering from blindness due to cataract, and the number goes up by two hundred thousand every year. He said, thanks to collective and continuous efforts of the Bangladesh government, local and international NGOs, the blindness rate is decreased by 0.5percent over the last year in Bangladesh, but still one percent of the population is blind in Bangladesh. The WSD 2015 celebration in Bangladesh is ended with great enthusiasm and we hope this WSD campaign will be a good chance to acknowledge disadvantaged people who cannot get eye care services and remind of our eye health.