( MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Peninsula Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public health (MoPH) has intensified its efforts to raise awareness on the importance of preventing eye diseases, as well as on the early detection and diagnosis of conditions that can lead to visual impairment or blindness, as part of this year's World Sight Day. World Sight Day is a global initiative launched by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), observed on the second Thursday of October each year. The initiative aims to promote blindness prevention programmes by raising awareness, educating, and engaging the community.
It emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment of diseases that can lead to blindness, particularly in light of the rising number of individuals affected by visual impairment. The IAPB currently estimates that approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide are affected by visual impairment.
The agency has warned that this number may increase, potentially impacting half of the global population by 2050. Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programs Department, affirmed the Ministry of Public Health's commitment to exerting efforts and continuously striving to provide the best health services to maintain eye health. This includes developing health and awareness programmes that target all segments of society, raising public awareness of eye health and safety .