Welcome to our October Newsletter!  It has been an exciting month.

Children’s Eye Health Campaign, 2 September - 10 October 2024

New Zealand’s first Children’s Eye Health Campaign (CEHC) has come to an end. It was a successful campaign which focussed on behavioural changes children can make to reduce the risk of short-sightedness (myopia). Posters and an engaging video carried key campaign messages, and these were shared amongst a range of organisations, all intermediate schools in Aotearoa New Zealand and on social media.

CEHC resources are available on the Eye Health Aotearoa website.

A pilot Sensory Art Competition was run in a selection of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland schools. The children enjoyed creating artwork that would be engaging to someone who is blind or has low vision, thus focusing on the non-visual senses of touch, sound and smell. This helped provide the children with an awareness of vision loss and the importance of looking after your eyes.

Wind chimes (sound) were created at Glenfield Intermediate while Pakuranga Intermediate focussed on the use of Braille and texture (touch).

Feedback forms showed that the children enjoyed the campaign and that key messages were retained. Social media messaging was very successful with posts being frequently viewed and shared. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness also shared posts, providing international exposure of key messages.

Children’s Eye Health Campaign posters displayed in schools.

Thank you to the supporters of the Children’s Eye Health Campaign. And an extra special "Thank You!" to all the children, schools and organisations who participated.

World Sight Day

Eye Health Aotearoa held events at selected public libraries for World Sight Day (WSD) on 10 October 2024. This was a fun day with eye health resources incorporated into school holiday programmes to raise the importance of taking care of your eyes at all ages. The libraries were a wonderful venue choice, with vision and reading aligning so well.

Children’s Eye Health Campaign posters displayed at Devonport Library - Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Hau Kapua.

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness

Eye Health Aotearoa is a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). On 30 September we presented our World Sight Day 2024 event plans to IAPB Western Pacific Region representatives, and on 4 October we met with Drew Keys, the new IAPB Director of Advocacy and Policy. These were very productive meetings, providing direction and support for the work being done by Eye Health Aotearoa.

IAPB Drew Keys with EHA representatives Brigid Hitchcock, Chrissie Cowan and Jelena Zidov.

Eye Health Aotearoa would love your support! Please keep in touch by signing up to help promote optimal eye health care for all New Zealanders.

Ngā mihi

The Eye Health Aotearoa Team