Better eye health would boost UK economy by £10bn – almost double the value of the UK’s film and TV industry, research finds.
- New research released this World Sight Day shows avoidable sight loss costs the UK £10 billion each year - almost twice the value of its film and TV industry.
- This puts the UK in the top 10 countries with the biggest potential gains from better eye health.
- 30% of people with sight loss experience a reduction in employment, 90% of sight loss is avoidable with early detection and treatment.
- The Love Your Eyes campaign urges business leaders to put eye health on the workplace wellbeing agenda.
Better eye health would bring a £10bn boost to the UK economy each year, almost twice the value of the TV and film industry, new research released this World Sight Day has found. The Love Your Eyes campaign is releasing the figures to highlight how improved eye health boosts productivity, urging business leaders to put eye health on the workplace wellbeing agenda this World Sight Day.
The study, conducted by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Prof Kevin Frick from Johns Hopkins, calculated the costs of avoidable sight loss in people over 50. The massive potential savings place the UK in the top 10 countries with the biggest economic gains from better eye health.
Healthy eyes are crucial to our ability to earn a living. But as technologies transform the way we work, more jobs require the prolonged use of screens, which can lead to eye strain and negatively impact eye health without proper precautions. This is especially true in the UK, where the service sector comprises 79% of total economic output and 83% of its workforce.
Sight loss costs the global economy US$411 billion every year, according to the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health. An estimated 30% of people with sight loss globally experience a reduction in employment, but 90% of sight loss is avoidable with early detection and treatment.
Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB and Love Your Eyes campaign spokesperson says: “Business leaders have played a vital role in raising awareness of workplace wellbeing, from mental health to menopause. Today, World Sight Day is an opportunity for employers to add eye health to their wellbeing agenda and encourage workers to love their eyes.
“Our eyes are central to our ability to earn a living. Sight loss has a profound impact on one’s personal and professional life, with cataracts and simply not having reading glasses among the leading causes of avoidable sight loss. Women, people in rural communities and ethnic minority groups are even more likely to experience sight loss and be excluded from employment and services.
“Whether it’s through eye health education, connecting employees with eye health services, adding eye health to insurance plans or adjusting screen settings, there are many ways to build a vision-friendly work environment and create healthier, happier workers.
“Nobody should experience avoidable sight loss, and no business should miss out on the boost that better eye health brings to their bottom line.”
Michael Rogers, CEO of Starfolio, a successful UK media business, says: “As a business owner, I firmly believe that prioritising eye health isn't just a matter of corporate responsibility; it's an investment in the wellbeing and productivity of not just the business but the entire economy.
“When I went blind early on in life, I really struggled to adapt to the workplace. I was one of the lucky ones and built my success on the hunger and drive that my blindness instilled in me. But I do know that good vision can be good for business and for us all. And I support calls for greater focus on eye health in workplace wellness schemes.”
