Fight for Sight urges consideration of unavoidable sight loss following Parliamentary debate
Fight for Sight, the UK's leading eye research charity, welcomed yesterday’s Parliamentary debate on avoidable sight loss and supported Nusrat Ghani MP’s call for more research into treatments and prevention.
Nusrat Ghani MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment, led yesterday’s debate and asked the Government to consider developing and implementing a national strategy for eye health in England. There are equivalent strategies for hearing loss and dementia, and eye health strategies are already in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is an anomaly.
Eye health has received little attention in Parliament during recent years. In the House of Commons Chamber itself, eye health has only been discussed for a total of 12 minutes since 2010. This is despite the fact that a survey in 2014 showed that 86.5% of the public were more fearful of losing their sight than any other sense.
Michele Acton, CEO of Fight for Sight, said, “Finally, eye health is starting to get the attention it deserves in Parliament and I commend Ms Ghani for bringing this issue to the fore. Yesterday’s debate focused on avoidable sight loss. We believe there also needs to be a focus on unavoidable sight loss. Millions of people worldwide are affected by eye diseases and conditions that currently can’t be treated – medical research is the answer and we’re encouraged that this was recognised in the debate.”
Eye health has received little attention in Parliament during recent years. In the House of Commons Chamber itself, eye health has only been discussed for a total of 12 minutes since 2010. This is despite the fact that a survey in 2014 showed that 86.5% of the public were more fearful of losing their sight than any other sense.
Michele Acton, CEO of Fight for Sight, said, “Finally, eye health is starting to get the attention it deserves in Parliament and I commend Ms Ghani for bringing this issue to the fore. Yesterday’s debate focused on avoidable sight loss. We believe there also needs to be a focus on unavoidable sight loss. Millions of people worldwide are affected by eye diseases and conditions that currently can’t be treated – medical research is the answer and we’re encouraged that this was recognised in the debate.”