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.