Eclipse Preparedness
The last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. until 2045 is on April 8. Its path of totality begins in Mexico and passes through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before ending in Canada, with a partial eclipse visible throughout the continental U.S. The Prevent Blindness Eclipse + Your Eyes program offers fact sheets in English and Spanish, a dedicated website, toolkits and resources for educators, plus a video with astrophotographer Jon Carmichael on how to safely photograph a solar eclipse: invisionmag.com/032404. Prevent Blindness is also offering the sale of solar eclipse glasses with proceeds going to support their sight-saving programs. preventblindness.org
Oalan May Increase AMD
Findings published in JAMA from a recent case-control South Korean study indicate that exposure to outdoor artificial light at night (OALAN) may increase risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research team found that those living in urban areas were more likely to develop incident exudative AMD (EAMD), with men 70 years or older in these areas at seemingly the highest risk. The team cited that artificial light at night has been widely acknowledged as having a damaging impact on the retina and optic nerve, including potential direct and indirect damage to ocular tissue. Investigators also noted that lifestyle differences between urban and rural areas may have also impacted the study’s findings. invisionmag.com/032405
Iapb Debuts Award For Young Leaders
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has announced the IAPB Young Systems Leader Awards, a new initiative designed to amplify the voices and empower early-career professionals driving transformative change in eye health. This new award is for “Systems Thinkers,” young professionals (under 35) working in the eye health sector who are shifting the paradigm to tackle avoidable sight loss and who embody critical systems thinking. The award is part of IAPB’s 2030 In Sight Strategy to drive the eye health sector to move beyond isolated interventions by calling on individuals and organizations to embrace a holistic systems approach to integrate eyecare into health systems. iapb.org/ learn/iapb-young-systems-leader-awards
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