With more than 2,000,000 people in the UK living with some degree of sight loss and over 300,000 registered as blind or partially sighted, it is important for anyone living with sight loss to know they’re not alone. At what...
Globally, it is estimated that only around one-third of people with vision impairment due to refractive error have received access to a quality pair of spectacles [1]. In recognition that uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of vision impairment...
Eye News spoke to Dr Monicah Bitok, Global Inclusive Eye Health Advisor with the Christian Blind Mission (CBM), about the rise in diabetes-related preventable blindness, systemic ophthalmic changes in low- and middle-income countries, and the impacts of a COVID-19-induced backlog...
I was fortunate enough to undertake an eight-week ophthalmology elective at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. It was an unforgettable two months, filled with once-in-a-life-time experiences and also the opportunity to gain invaluable clinical knowledge. KCMC...
On the 26 February 2025, I travelled to Rwanda on the invitation of a former Belfast trainee, Michael Mikhail. Michael is now one of only two vitreoretinal (VR) surgeons in Rwanda, a country with a population of 14 million. Born...
Ophthalmology and art are undoubtedly connected – for many artists they are inseparable, as their vision is fundamental to their work – it determines how they perceive colour and light in order to transform it into art. However, visual impairment...
The team from a sight-saving Worcester eye clinic are taking their skills to Uganda after being inspired by a patient whose charity work in Africa began following the tragic death of her husband. Newmedica Worcester – which offers a range...
International eye care charity Orbis UK has partnered with Beedie on Eyewear: The Podcast for its second season, highlighting the global problem of avoidable sight loss to audiences in the optical sector. Hosted by optometrist Beedie, the weekly podcast takes...
Malawi is a small land-locked country in eastern Africa with a growing population of over 17 million people. About 45% of the population is aged 14 or under; only 5% are aged 60 or over. The gross national income per...
A resident’s view from Makassar My name is Hendra Kusuma, a final year resident (registrar) in the ophthalmology department at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, Indonesia. We have had a VISION 2020 LINK with Dundee (coordinated at the UK end by...
The VISION 2020 LINKS Programme celebrates its 10th anniversary next month. Over the past decade it has achieved its objective of building capacity for eye care in developing countries, particularly in Africa, by establishing long-term training partnerships between institutions, known...