Eye health should be a key part of workplace wellness programmes

An estimated 30% of people who experience sight loss also experience a reduction in employment. [iStockphoto]

The world is losing sight at an alarming rate. Despite advances in medicine and technology, sight loss affects around 2.2 billion people globally, a figure that is likely to increase in the absence of practical interventions.

A study by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), released on this year's World Sight Day, provides fresh impetus for countries to invest in eye health by calculating the economic cost of avoidable sight loss in every country.