World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. On 8 October 2015, in t Chişinău, the LOW VISION Center in partnership with "HJELP MOLDOVA" celebrated WSD with Call to Action: "Eye Care for All”. Picture: Pretending what it is like to be blind. World Sight Day with Call to Action: "Eye Care for All”.   On 8 October 2015, in the Republic of Moldova, city Chişinău, the LOW VISION Center in partnership with "HJELP MOLDOVA" organization from Norway, celebrated World Sight Day with Call to Action: "Eye Care for All”. World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. The main goals of WSD:

• Raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues
• Influence Government//Ministers of Health Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, Ministry of Education to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programmes
• Educate target audiences about blindness prevention,  about VISION 2020

  Pretending what it is like to be blind: Flash mob to help raise awareness for "Eye Care for All”,  High School, “Spiru Haret”.

Performed Activities:

1. World Sight Day with Call to Action: "Eye Care for All”, broadcasted at Moldova1 channel(http://www.trm.md/…/buna-dimineata-din-8-octombrie-2015-pa/,7.47am) .
2. Carried out a flash mob to help raise awareness for "Eye Care for All”, High School, “Spiru Haret”, (https://www.facebook.com/tatiana.ghidirimschi), Jurnal TV). .
3. Celebrated WSD at the LOW VISION Center, city Chisinau. At the event were invited: People with visual impairment and their families, doctors ophthalmologists from the hole country, representatives of the department of Ophthalmology from State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemitanu", representatives of government, WHO Office in Moldova, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, Ministry of Education. Unfortunately, nobody came from the government, WHO Office in Moldova and Ministry of Health. The mission of the event was to attract public attention to several key interventions that are crucial for the achievement of the goal of the Global Action Plan – to reduce avoidable visual impairment as a global public health problem and to secure access to rehabilitation services for the visually impaired. The Global Action Planis a commitment endorsed by all WHO Member States to improve eye health for everyone (‘Universal Eye Health’) over the next 5 years. The Director of LOW VISION Center, Mrs. Tatiana Ghidirimschi presented the dates of RAAB in Moldova (2012) and the importance to strengthen national efforts and develop and implement in the Republic of Moldova the eye health plan in line with GAP 2014-19. Beneficiaries of LOW VISION Center have told about the barriers faced in their life ( in educational institutions and workplaces) as well the positive changes and the possibilities they have got after receiving low vision devices offered by Low Vision Center. . The event ended with a small concert offered by the visually impaired people. The event was broadcasted at Jurnal TV, Publika TV channels”, . http://www.jurnaltv.md/ro/news/2015/10/8/ziua-mondiala-a-vederii-la-chisinau-10161675/#1; . http://www.publika.md/e-un-luptator-povestea-impresionanta-a-unui-tanar-din-hancesti-care-si-a-pierdut-vederea-la-doar-9-ani_2418661.html: . https://www.facebook.com/tatiana.ghidirimschi. .

Three TV-channels reported from the World Sight Day arrangements in Chsisnau.

As a part of the WSD campaign promotional materials from IAPB was used.  Dr. Tatiana Ghidirimshi to the left.

.

Text: Tatiana Ghidirimshi

Photo: Hjelp Moldova