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IN FOCUS - Prevention and treatment of blindness worldwide: the story of ‘VISION 2020: The Right to Sight’

The story of blindness and efforts to prevent and treat it cannot be told without going back to the earliest recorded history of blindness. Trachoma was described in ancient Egypt, cataract surgery in India about the fifth century BC and...

Building research capacity through the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme

The aim is to build capacity for research in the region covered by the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA). The project will build research capacity in three ophthalmology training institutions by ‘training the trainers’ and...

Eye research: where next?

Eye research in the UK is underfunded relative to other areas of medical research and general awareness of sight loss and its prevention remains poor, messages that were reinforced in presentations and discussions during a recent research summit meeting in...

An update on inherited retinal disorders (part 2): Approaches to therapy for IRDs

Part 1 of this topic can be found here There are currently no proven cures for inherited retinal disease (IRD). However, multiple avenues of research are being investigated to better understand disease mechanisms and trial potential therapies that may slow...

Artificial intelligence and the 2024 Esme’s Umbrella Medical Student Essay Prize

Esme’s Umbrella is a charity for people with Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS), helping raise awareness of the condition as well as offering support and advice. All clinical specialties may encounter CBS, so Esme’s Umbrella inaugurated a medical student essay prize...

Patient and public participation shapes biomedical research and access priorities in eye health

Patients, clinicians and clinician-scientists play a valuable role in shaping the future of vision research. Limited funding demands targeted research initiatives that ultimately will shape health policy and practice to secure progress in improving patient outcomes in eye health. This...

‘Phaco-plus’ procedures at forefront of modern glaucoma management

Glaucoma and cataract increasingly present as a ‘two-in-one’ surgical opportunity. In the UK, new modelling suggests ~1 million adults aged ≥40 may currently have glaucoma, with a projected rise to ~1.6 million by 2060 as the population ages and demographics...

Leveraging networks and collaboration: The Calabar Diabetic Retinopathy Service, from inception to a state-wide service, research and training hub

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is a leading cause of preventable vision loss and blindness in people of working age globally [1]. Diabetic retinopathy is a disease of public health importance in Nigeria as it...

Retinoblastoma, CureAll and the role of global clinical, capacity strengthening and research networks

Retinoblastoma (Rb), a rare childhood eye cancer, presents a particularly compelling example of how global health partnerships can operate at the intersection of different medical disciplines, in this case: ophthalmology, oncology and public health. This article places the work of...