ST. LOUIS—The World Council of Optometry (WCO) will celebrate World Optometry Week March 17–23, 2024 and specifically World Optometry Day, March 23, with the theme “Advancing Optometry’s Commitment to Global Eye Care.” World Optometry Day shines an annual spotlight on the profession of optometry and the contribution of optometrists worldwide to increasing access to eye health care as a human right. With this theme, WCO seeks to highlight the ongoing work done by optometrists across the globe to improve equitable access to eyecare as well as the profession’s role in promoting the adoption of Integrated People-Centered Eye Care (IPEC) in countries’ health systems, as recommended by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2019 World Report on Vision.
“As we approach World Optometry Week 2024, I am encouraged to see how optometry as a profession is embracing the need to address the large burden of preventable vision impairment,” said WCO president Dr. Sandra Block. “We continue to educate our patients as well as stakeholders who understand the importance of access to quality eyecare. Optometry has taken a leadership role in addressing the many challenges.”
WCO invites optometrists worldwide to use its World Optometry Week social media resources, available in seven different languages, to assist in World Optometry Week and World Optometry Day advocacy. Its partners at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) have developed the Advocacy to Action Toolkit to learn more about advancing the IPEC model as the future of equitable eyecare.
Let WCO know how your organization is celebrating World Optometry Day and World Optometry Week 2024 at communications@worldoptometry.org.