WORLD SIGHT DAY 2022

In conjunction with World Sight Day 2022, we are advocating eye health and the importance of caring for sight via a series of CSR initiatives and activities which kicked off starting October month. The campaign, which encompasses various initiatives aims to bring about awareness on the importance of eye health and to make access to sight available to the public.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness indicates that there are 1.1 billion people globally with vision loss. It is estimated that vision loss will rise to 1.7 billion people by 2050.

According to Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham, the prevalence of blindness in Malaysia is 1.2% of the population and among the main cause are cataract (58.6%), diabetic retinopathy (10.4%) and glaucoma (6.6%). He said this data was based on the 2014 National Eye survey, and the main cause of limited vision was untreated cataracts and myopia. However, nearly 80% of the blindness can be treated and prevented.

Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are a leading and increasing cause of visual impairment and blindness in children. The prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents is rapidly increasing in many parts of the world, due to lifestyle changes for children. Vision loss can slowly steal an individual’s sight and often goes undetected until it is too late. We must prioritize our eye health, so that problems can be diagnosed, treated and often cured.

“As the leading optical chain in Malaysia, we are well aware of the importance of caring for sight and we are fully committed to both educating and spreading awareness for proper eye care.” Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, President & CEO, Focus Point said.

He added that another key element to this year’s campaign is to make it possible for the public to have access for comprehensive eye screening and get free consultation from their registered Optometrists.

“This year, we are partnering with EssilorLuxottica to provide eye screening with the latest and advanced screening equipment. It enables us to screen for refractive error, retina, eye pressure, ocular abnormalities, myopia and measure eyeball length. During the screening, our Optometrists are providing one-on-one professional consultation to the public and sharing on the best practices to properly care for our sight.” Dato’ Liaw said.

He added that in conjunction with World Sight Day awareness month, Focus Point has initiated “Donate Used Eyewear” campaign to encourage general public to recycle their used eyewear by donating it. This Donate Used Eyewear campaign, in partnership with Lions Club and EssilorLuxottica, aiming to help the needy and underprivilege with provision of eyewear. A RM50 discount voucher will be given as a token of appreciation to donors who support this donation initiative.

During the ceremony, we have given away 300 pairs of eyewear to Lions Club and 200 pairs of eyewear to Perbadanan Nasional Berhad with the aim to support the community in need of eyewear. Through Donate Used Eyewear campaign, we will be working closely with Lions Club to increase the awareness, encourage more donors to support and collect more donated used eyewear to help more people in need.

In conjunction with the launching ceremony, we would like to encourage the public to take up the mantle of making vision their health priority with #SAYAPledge – a social media shout out campaign to encourage the public to be aware of the importance of eye health and to protect their eyes.   

YBhg. Dato’ Suriani binti Dato’ Ahmad, Chairman of Focus Point Holdings Berhad who was presented said that “As the cornerstone of the Group's sustainability efforts, Focus Point continues to give vision care first priority.” She added “To provide a point of entry for patients to receive refractions, glasses, or contact lenses, the Group has consistently invested in primary eye care equipment. Additionally, we are also investing on Advanced Primary Eye Care equipment to offer thorough eye screening.”

Puan Nor Azizah bt Ismail, the Secretary for Malaysia Optical Council (MOC) of Ministry of Health Malaysia who was present to officiate the World Sight Day 2022 event acknowledged and congratulated Focus Point for its sustainable efforts in championing eye health.

Numbers of guests and representatives were there for the launching ceremony, including Association of Malaysian Optometrists (AMO), Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians (MAPO), Malaysian Optometry Association (MOA), Malaysian Optical Wholesaler Association (MOWA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Program of Optometry, UCSI University Cheras School of Optometry, and many more.

For more information about Focus Point and its World Sight Day activities, visit: www.focus-point.com or https://www.facebook.com/FocusPointFP.