Shining a spotlight on glaucoma this month, Glaucoma New Zealand (GNZ) is sharing patient stories explaining their experiences of the disease and is inviting the country’s optometrists and ophthalmologists to help them share the message and keep referring patients.
The 2025 awareness campaign is designed to provoke thought, said GNZ general manager Pippa Martin. “Having the public and our eye-health professionals consider how they might be impacted if they or their loved ones had glaucoma is important, as glaucoma ‘looks’ different for everyone.”
The campaign will feature six 42-second video clips of patients, including GNZ ambassador and journalist Paddy Gower, describing what glaucoma looks like for them and how it impacts their daily life. GNZ is also handing out 4,000 sets of cardboard glasses with different lenses – clear, frosted or blurred to varying degrees – to broadly mimic early, moderate or advanced glaucoma to encourage discussion, understanding and motivate people to get an eye health check, Martin said. The glasses will come with a generic information card about the campaign and directions to go to the GNZ website to register for a two-minute challenge, donate or share their story.
Packs of the cardboard glasses will be sent to New Zealand eye-health practices with a campaign poster and information letter. If a practice is not already a member of GNZ and would like to receive a pack, they can register on the website to receive these, said Martin.
“We’d like to encourage eye-health professionals to be aware of our campaign, display a poster in their staff room, have fun with the two-minute challenge and share their experience with us and their patients through their newsletters and social media channels. If they come up with an idea to fundraise, we’ll be happy to shout this from the rooftops to name and thank them.”
