Royal attends sight-saving appeal launch
Witnessing Orbis UK’s work in action
Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex joined blindness prevention charity, Orbis UK, on 14 September to mark the launch of its Surgical Fund Appeal at the Royal College of Surgeons in London.
As global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the countess has previously travelled with Orbis to India and Bangladesh, speaking with adults and children who had received life changing surgery.
The Surgical Fund Appeal will provide 17,000 operations to adults and children across Ethiopia, Nepal and Bangladesh, tackling conditions such as trachomatous trichiasis, cataract and strabismus. And until 31 December, donations will be matched up to £100,000 thanks to Orbis ambassador, Sunil Ruia and his family.
Orbis has been transforming lives through the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness for nearly four decades. With a close network of partners, they mentor and train local eyecare teams – from community workers to doctors and nurses – so that they can save and restore vision in their communities. The fund will also support the training of eyecare teams within the three countries.
Rebecca Cronin, chief executive of Orbis UK, said: “As an organisation, we bring people together to work as one to ensure no one loses their sight simply because of where they live. When eyecare professionals get the training they need, patients get the eyecare they deserve.
“Access to this care is not always easy, and in many areas across Ethiopia, Nepal and Bangladesh, services may be too far away or cost too much. Through this fund, we hope to open up these services to the people who need them most, and thanks to the Ruia family, donations to the Surgical Fund Appeal can now have twice the impact.”
Michelle Le Cheminant, consultant anaesthetist, NHS staff member and Orbis medical volunteer, said: “The legacy of Orbis is truly special and something I have witnessed time and time again. On my first Orbis project in Binh Dinh, Vietnam, I trained a young anaesthetic doctor called Dr Ngoc. She was just starting out in her career. Several years later I met her again on a project in Hue and it was amazing to see how she had developed into a confident and competent clinician. It was really quite an emotional moment and for me this really reinforced the unique value of Orbis and their long-term partnerships.”
Orbis UK’s Surgical Fund Appeal runs until the 31 December. Find out more here.