Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh has taken part in a historic trachoma elimination conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which bought together over 40 organisations and more than 100 participants who discussed obstacles, successes and future plans.
The conference, organised by international eyecare charity Orbis, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the British Embassy, included speakers such as:
- Her Excellency Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Dr Leah Tadesse
- The British Ambassador, HMA Darren Welch
- Patients who had experienced trachoma.
Her Royal Highness delivered the keynote speech, highlighting the impact of trachoma on women, children, livelihoods and education. The Duchess also recognised the hard work and dedication of the government and organisations collaborating closely to make trachoma history in the country. The World Health Organisation has set a timeline to eliminate trachoma by 2030.
Her Royal Highness at the Trachoma Elimination Conference. Credit: Orbis
The Duchess commented: “So much has been achieved both here in Ethiopia and around the world. But now is the time that we must all redouble our efforts if we are to achieve our aim of eliminating trachoma by the year 2030, which is a mere six years away.
“We must not let ourselves become defocused or complacent. We are on the cusp of achieving something almost unimaginable in previous years. Every person involved in this vital work has reason to be so very proud of each and every accomplishment… We are creeping closer to our incredible goal and I urge you all to keep your eyes on the prize and to make this disease so awful that it is worthy of mention in the Bible, a thing of the past and give our communities the gift of sight.”
