LONDON—The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has announced the winners of the World Sight Day 2023 Photo Competition. An independent panel of six judges from around the world selected this year’s winners. The judges have chosen "The Artist," by Santanu Bose as this year’s winning professional Photo of the Year and "The Smile of Happiness," by Marisa Martins Armada as the winning amateur Photo of the Year. Caroline Casey, IABP president and a photo competition judge, said of this year's entrants, “These pictures show how we can help people with visual needs and encourage everyone to take good care of their eyes.

"It helps more people, including policymakers, understand why taking care of our eyes must be a priority,” Casey said.

Winners were selected from almost a thousand images submitted from dozens of countries. Simon Darvill, director of communications, campaigns and events for IAPB, said, “The success of this year’s photo competition mirrors the enthusiasm we witnessed for World Sight Day—the global celebrations around the Love Your Eyes campaign were truly awe-inspiring. The photo competition, a yearly highlight, is an extension of that spirit, which is evident in the quality of submissions.”

 
 2023 World Sight Day Professional Photo of the Year
"The Artist" by Santanu Bose, courtesy of IAPB.
  
“Since its inception in 2015, the World Sight Day Photo Competition, supported by Bayer, has helped tell the story of eyecare; the social and economic impact of having accessible, available and affordable eyecare and the flip side," Darvill added. He noted, "We are continually thrilled that so many photographers are keen to be part of helping tell that story. We sincerely thank everyone who participated and congratulations to our incredible winners."

The judging panel consisted of IAPB's Casey; Anibal Bueno, scientist and professional photographer; professor Ian Pearce, consultant ophthalmologist and vitreo-retinal surgeon; Marge Axelrad, senior vice president and editorial director, Vision Monday and VMAIL; Imraan Gallo, visually impaired photographer and advocate for artists with disabilities; and Kwame Yeboah, optometrist and World Sight Day 2022 Photo Competition Winner.

When asked to consider the importance of imagery that displays and celebrates the impact of eye care, Judge Gallo replied, ‘It is awareness on a global scale. You also get to experience a little bit of the world we rarely see.”


2023 World Sight Day Amateur Photo of the Year
"The Smile of Happiness" by Marisa Martins Armada, courtesy of IAPB.

  
Learn more about World Sight Day, the #LoveYourEyesAtWork theme this year, the images, and the 2023 Judges Panel here.

The IAPB World Sight Day Photo Competition is made possible with support from Bayer. The competition is part of the #LoveYourEyes, World Sight Day campaign.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is the overarching alliance for the global eyecare sector with almost 200 members worldwide drawn from NGOs and civil society, corporate organizations, professional bodies, and research and eyecare institutions.

The IAPB World Sight Day Photo Competition is the largest, most prestigious eye health photo competition. Since 2015 the competition has attracted thousands of entries from around the world. IAPB encourages the use of ALT text and/or image descriptions on digital platforms to ensure the accessibility of images.