Leading vision care group, Focus Point today launched its “Stronger Together For Universal Eye Health” – a fresh, unique and colorful twist to advocating eye and vision care amidst rising vision impairment and eye problem incidences in the country. With the high percentage of Malaysians suffer from low-vision impairment which is at 54%; they are owing to health defects as revealed by the Health Ministry’s National Optometry Services head Dr Nur Zahirah Husain.
It’s estimated that 15,000 people nationwide suffer from low-vision impairment based on statistics obtained from government hospitals. “The number would be higher if figures from private hospitals and other medical centres were to be included,” said Dr Nur Zahirah. And she added that the numbers are getting higher year by year and some of the factors that causing this includes glaucoma, diabetes, age-related degeneration, cataracts, retinal disease and uncorrected refractive error.
Dato Liaw Choon Liang, CEO of Focus Point said the company is committed to aiding the cause of eye and vision care on World Sight Day annually. “It’s the company’s philosophy to give back – which is why the company has started the Focus Point Caring Heart Charity Foundation with the motto “Caring Hearts – Together We Make A Difference” many years ago.
“World Sight Day, as our key CSR initiative under this Foundation, is particularly meaningful and close to our hearts as it’s directly related to our business of eye wear/care. It is natural for us to conduct any form of awareness, education and contributive activities to support vision care cause;” said Dato’ Liaw.
This year’s World Sight Day (WSD) theme is “Stronger Together” dovetails the company’s CSR vision of “Togetherness”. The message is simple – promoting eye care is not a solo effort but everyone plays a part, from eye care professionals like ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, donors, patients, carers, to the wider family.
Today’s media event conducted at the Focus Point outlet offered a kaleidoscopic range of holistic activities to encourage Malaysians to care for their eyes and vision.
The Creatif Academy of Global Art was invited to help bring the theme “Universal Eye Health” to life by illustrating the importance of eye care on a global level. “What a better way to depict the theme than through art which suggests good eye vision help one see and appreciate the world, people & places around them better. Without good vision, there’s no seeing and but compromise of the quality of living life itself,” said Dato Liaw.
More than 10 Creatif Academy students displayed hand-drawn art pieces of national flags to depict the Universal Eye Health theme. They were then joined by Dato’ Liaw to complete a painting of a globe within an eye to symbolise the launch.
Music and social media sensation, Elizabeth Tan graced the event to share her thoughts about vision care and how excelling in what you do and in life all start with a good vision, which in turn leads to a good life.
For the public, Focus Point provided free eye checks with various high tech machines which can detect sophisticated eye problems.
With every pair of eye wear purchased in the month of October Focus Point will be giving a pair of eye wear to the needy.
The media event concluded with Dato’ Liaw leading all guests in a ‘Carefie‘ photo session – a new term coined today to reflect taking a group photo “because one cares”. The objective is to create a viral social media effect to spread the positive key messages of vision care globally.