WHO Launches the WHOeyes App on World Sight Day

According to WHO, regular vision checks with this app can ensure that vision impairment is identified as early as possible, and that action can be taken to preserve eyesight.

In response to the growing demand for eyecare services, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched '˜WHOeyes' on World Sight Day. This initiative aligns with WHO's objective to encourage people to seek out eye care.

This application is accessible to the general public free of cost, offering the opportunity to access near and distant vision and gain insights into preserving eye health.

The newly launched app checks visual acuity, a measure of how well the eye can distinguish shapes and details at a specific distance, representing a common evaluation of visual function.

Moreover, it offers a simple, non-invasive measure, which is critical to determine if someone has a vision impairment. Many people with vision loss are unaware of it.

According to WHO, regular vision checks with this app can ensure that vision impairment is identified as early as possible, and that action can be taken to preserve eyesight.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general, WHO on X

The WHOeye app is available in all six UN languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. It can be downloaded for free both on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Sharing his views, Dr Bente Mikkelsen, director, Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO, said, "The WHOeyes app can help people quickly and easily identify potential vision issues that merit further checking by a qualified professional. We decided to share this simple eye test and quick tips for eye care on an app, as people use their phones daily, and many people are unaware that they have a vision problem until it is too late.'

As per reports, at least 2.2 billion people have near or distant vision impairment across the world. While at least one billion of these cases could have been prevented or can be easily addressed with spectacles or cataract surgery.

Currently, vision impairment poses an enormous global financial burden, with an estimated $ 411 billion lost in workplace productivity due to poor vision.

Founded in 1948, the World Health Organisation (WHO) directs and coordinates international health within the United Nations system. It seeks to ensure that people across the world have universal health coverage and further offer better health and well-being.

In another significant development, AIIMS Delhi partnered with WHO to achieve 'œZero Avoidable Harm'' to patients. With this initiative, the partnership sought to implement advanced patient safety and quality initiatives in the Department of Paediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, which includes Neonatology and Neonatal surgery.