- pixabay
VIVA – Currently, there are still many people who pay less attention to eye health conditions. According to a study, 1.1 billion people experience eye disorders such as visual loss ability from mild, severe, to total blindness, and 55 percent of them are dominated by women.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) study in 2020 states that 1.1 billion people in the world experience eye disorders. It is predicted that this number will increase to 1.75 billion people in 2050.
The severe condition, 55 percent of people with vision problems are women. It is because of the various barriers women face to accessing basic eye health care services, including costs, inability to travel, lack of social support, and limited access to information and resources.
Ilustrasi mata.
- pixabay
Academic Advisor and Operations Counsel Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI), Robert Gardiner, explained that regular eye examinations are very important because they can help determine the condition of the sense of sight and take early treatment if a disturbance is detected.
"Unfortunately, the Hello Health survey in 2021 shows that 45 percent of Indonesians have never had their eyes checked. They only feel the urgency to have an examination when they start experiencing low vision (49 percent) or other unusual symptoms (41 percent)," Robert stated in his statement, Friday, October 14, 2022.
"These data indicate that the public's low awareness of getting their eyes checked is caused by a lack of knowledge," Robert Gardiner added.
To coincide with the momentum of World Sight Day, Country Leader of Communications and Public Affairs, PT Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Devy Yheanne created a WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing, and Design) Webinar to help people face various health challenges, including visual disturbance.
Ilustrasi kedutan pada mata.
- U-Report
According to Devy, this event was held to provide equal access for women, especially the younger generation, to knowledge and resources regarding health, including eye health.
"We believe that a higher level of awareness and quality of health will improve their overall quality of life. We hope that more and more parties are inspired by this initiative to participate in campaigning for the importance of public access to health information and services to create a healthier community and world, " Devy Yheanne explained.
Entitled WiSTEM2D Talk: Amazing Contact Lenses, this event is intended for 150 high school/vocational high school students and Indonesian students.
"We hope that the participants are also motivated to share the insights they have gained with their closest family and relatives. So, it can be more Indonesians are caring to eye health issues." Robert Gardiner said.
“With the support of Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, PJI will continue to explore other community health challenges and seek to develop health education initiatives to help provide solutions," Robert Gardiner added.
