Small change

As we enter a year that is synonymous with vision, the time seems right to reflect on the fact that only a single pound in every hundred spent on research in the UK is dedicated to eye research.

This is despite the large impact that sight loss has on society, which is likely to increase in the future with the UK’s ageing population.

Each day in the UK, 250 people are told that they are losing their sight.

For clinicians to give their patients hope when they receive this sobering news, adequate investment in researching new treatment options is vital.
This week, OT published an interview with Fight for Sight’s head of research Dr Rubina Ahmed about a study investigating the economic and personal impact of sight loss.

“It’s an exciting time in eye research so the possibilities are endless, but currently, we are only able to fund a small proportion of the excellent research applications that come in,” she said.

“This needs to change as we are missing opportunities,” Dr Ahmed added.

Fight for Sight’s funding work will provide a strong evidence for adequately funding treatments to preserve the sense UK adults value the most.

Image credit: Getty/Skynesher