Using Social Media to Fight Vision Loss in Brazil

Today’s post comes to us from Lais Cattassini of GLOBALHealthPR Brazil partner, Tino Comunicação.

Have you ever imagined how your life would be if you couldn’t see? Or how differently you would see things around you if you needed (or didn’t need) glasses?

Our vision naturally changes as we grow older, but sometimes it can be more serious than simply adjusting a prescription. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among people over 50 years old.

AMD is a damaging of the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharpness, color and quality of an image.  As macular degeneration begins to set in,  patients may see distorted images, which can later evolve to dark spots in the center of their field of vision. An early diagnosis can guarantee a more successful treatment and avoid the complications caused by AMD.

Connecting civil society and industry

With this in mind, Tino Comunicação, together with the Brazilian Retina and Vitreous Society  and supported by Novartis, developed a campaign to raise awareness on the importance of an early diagnosis and the correct treatment for AMD.

The campaign’s crucial message is simple: When your vision is compromised, you are missing out on special moments and memories. Clear vision ties directly into quality of life, and it is important that shyness, fear, or pride does not prevent seniors from reaching out for help. At the very first sign of vision problems, the elderly must look to their doctors for treatment and diagnosis as soon as the vision loss begins.

The campaign “Veja Para Sempre” (See Forever) just launched on Facebook October 15. Public engagement is the best result of a successful campaign, and “Veja Para Sempre” hopes to garner engagement through visual publicity, social networks, and media attention. And it has already gotten off to a successful start; just three days into the campaign, the page has already received over 1,500 likes.

Fighting this preventable blindness is a matter of social responsibility and public health. If we can prevent it by acting now, why wait?