Feb. 1, 2024 — The World Council of Optometry (WCO) has announced the theme for this year’s World Optometry Week celebration, taking place March 17-23 and concluding with World Optometry Day on Thursday, March 23. 

The theme for 2024 is “Advancing Optometry’s Commitment to Global Eye Care” to highlight the ongoing worldwide effort by optometrists to improve equitable access to eye care in addition to promoting Integrated People-centered Eye Care (IPEC) in health systems as recommended by the World Health Organization’s 2019 World Report on Vision.

World Optometry Week celebrates the profession of optometry and the contribution of optometrists around the world in the ongoing effort to increase access to eye care as a human right. WCO offers a variety of social media resources, available in seven different languages, to assist in promoting the weeklong celebration. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, a WCO partner, developed the Advocacy to Action toolkit to spread awareness about the IPEC model as the future of equitable eye care.

“As we approach World Optometry Week 2024, I am encouraged to see how optometry as a profession is embracing the need to address the large burden of preventable vision impairment,” shares WCO President Sandra Block, O.D., M. Ed., MPH, FAAO, FCOVD. “We continue to educate our patients as well as stakeholders who understand the importance of access to quality eye care. Optometry has taken a leadership role in addressing the many challenges.”