Currently half the number of corneas available than are needed for patients in the UK
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust fully supports the pertinant reminder from NHS Blood & Transplant of the importance of having a conversation about organ and tissue donation with their family or friends on World Sight Day (Thursday 8 October), as the latest national statistics from NHS Blood and Transplant show patients across the country face longer waits for cornea transplants due to a drop in available corneas.
For more information, see the full press release from NHS Blood & Transplant
World Sight Day 2020
World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. This year, World Sight Day will take place on 8 October 2020 with the theme: Hope In Sight.
1 billion people around the world have a preventable vision impairment or one that has yet to be addressed. Reduced or absent eyesight can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities and the ability to access public services.
Reduced eyesight can be caused by several factors, including diseases like diabetes and trachoma, trauma to the eyes, or conditions such as refractive error, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma.
The majority of people with vision impairment are over the age of 50 years; however, vision loss can affect people of all ages.
For more information on World Sight Day 2020, visit the IAPB website.
