October 9, 2025, marks World Sight Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about eye health and preventing avoidable blindness.
This year’s theme, “Love Your Eyes”, emphasizes the importance of proper eyesight as a mark of love for oneself.
Health institutions such as C-Health have shown the importance of protecting vision as an essential part of health and wellness.
Vision is crucial to quality of life and productivity, reminding everyone that eye care is not a luxury but a necessity for all, regardless of occupation.
Globally, over 2.2 billion people suffer from some form of visual impairment, with more than 1 billion cases being preventable or untreated.
In Nigeria alone, estimates suggest that over 4.25 million people are blind or visually impaired, primarily from conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive errors.
Many Nigerians suffer in silence due to a lack of awareness or financial barriers to accessing proper eye care. Poor vision not only affects health but also impacts education, productivity, and economic livelihoods, creating a cycle of poverty and lost potential.
Work environments pose daily risks to eye health. Long hours staring at digital screens can cause digital eye strain, while workers in construction, healthcare, farming, and trading face hazards such as flying particles, chemical exposure, dust, UV rays, and poor lighting.
Unfortunately, early symptoms of eye problems are often ignored, leading to preventable vision loss. Experts advise regular eye check-ups, protective eyewear, screen breaks, a diet rich in eye-friendly nutrients, and control of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension to safeguard eye health.
The financial cost of eye care in Nigeria further complicates access, with many unable to afford exams, glasses, surgeries, or medications. This highlights the critical role of affordable health insurance as a lifeline for many.
C-Health, for example, offers health insurance plans that cover routine eye checks, medications, specialist referrals, and emergency care for eye injuries, helping protect not only vision but overall health and financial stability.
On this World Sight Day, health professionals urge the public to take their eye health seriously—undergoing screenings even without symptoms, educating others in schools and workplaces, and securing insurance coverage to access needed care promptly.
The call is to value vision before it is lost and to secure a future with clear sight.
Africa continues to face significant challenges in eye health despite progress. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes rising vision impairment due to aging populations, lifestyle changes, and non-communicable diseases.
Only 32% of African countries have national eye health policies, and millions remain underserved by cataract surgery and refractive error correction services.
WHO urges integrated, people-centered eye care, scaling up workforce training, public awareness, and affordable services to combat this growing public health issue.
Ultimately, World Sight Day 2025 serves as a crucial reminder that good vision is vital for health, education, productivity, and quality of life.
It calls for collective action from governments, health institutions, communities, and individuals to ensure affordable, accessible eye care so that preventable blindness becomes a thing of the past in Nigeria, Africa, and worldwide.
This article draws on expert insights from C-Health and data from national and global health organizations to underscore the importance of loving and protecting eyes at work and beyond.
As Nigeria and the world commemorate this day, the message is clear: See better, live better, and insure wisely.