Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

From PR Newswire, LONDON — The theme of World Sight Day 2009 is Gender & Eye Health – equal access to care, recognising that two-thirds of blind people worldwide are women and girls, and that in many places men have twice the access to eye care. The day of awareness is set to be marked by up to 300 events in over 50 countries The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has published a report to mark World Sight Day, which examines the current situation, and highlights effective strategies which are successfully addressing gender inequity in eye health, particularly in developing countries…. READ PRESS RELEASE

(PRWEB) London, UK — The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has published a report to mark World Sight Day, which examines the current situation, and highlights effective strategies which are successfully addressing gender inequity in eye health, particularly in developing countries.London, UK, 8th October 2009: IAPB is the partner of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the <www.VISION2020.org>VISION 2020: The Right to Sight global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness. Its member organisations include virtually all international eye care NGOs worldwide, whose projects and programmes make up the report’s content. The report cites compelling evidence that in most developing countries, women are less likely to receive eye care services than men, and that additionally, women comprise more than half of the elderly population, and the natural incidence of some blinding diseases (cataract and trachoma) is higher among women than men, which results in a situation where women account for nearly two-thirds of blind people worldwide…. READ PRESS RELEASE