Jaipur, October 2019: On the occasion of World Sight Day, Orbis, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of blindness, launched comic books to educate children on the importance of good vision and spectacle wear. This is the fifth in the series of comics launched by Orbis on World Sight Day. These comics are distributed free of cost along with the October Edition of Diamond Comics as well as independently among school children by Orbis and its partner across India.
The comics was launched by Shri
Devendra Bhushan Gupta, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan in the
presence of dignitaries from National Program for Control of Blindness and
Visual Impairment, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India,
Sankara Eye Hospital, Jaipur, Vision 2020 India as well as eye hospitals and
international non-profits working for eye care in India.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rishi Raj Borah, Country
Director-India, Orbis said, “Very
often, eye conditions in children may not be addressed for a variety of reasons,
including children not realizing they aren’t seeing clearly. Comics is an
excellent medium that helps us reach children at an early age. The format is
engaging and allows them to understand seemingly complex eye health information
and experiences with ease.”
The story uses epic comic
character Chacha Chaudhary accompanied by Orbis India Mascot Twinkle to connect
better with children. The comics are available
in three languages - English, Hindi and Bengali.
“It is wonderful to see Chacha
Chaudhary whose comics we have all read growing up, explain to children the
importance of vision and the need to wear glasses. We hope this message will
motivate students to be supportive of their classmates wearing prescription
glasses that help them enjoy the gift of clear sight.” said Dr. Kaushik Murali, Pediatric Ophthalmologist and President
Medical Administrator, Sankara Eye Foundation.
World Sight Day is observed on the
second Thursday of October every year to focus global attention on blindness
and vision impairment. India has the largest number of blind children. Further,
India is home to 8.8 million blind people, making the country the home of
almost a quarter of the total 36 million blind people.