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Moorfields support for World Sight Day – Thursday 9 October 2008
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is recognising World Sight Day 2008 on Thursday 9 October by hosting a glaucoma awareness stall run by the International Glaucoma Assocation in its City Road hospital between 10am and 3pm. Information on a range of eye conditions and treatments will also be available throughout the day at Moorfields’ specialist eye clinic at Bedford Hospital.
Glaucoma, one of the world's leading causes of preventable blindness, is characterised by loss of vision due to damage of the optic nerve, usually, but not always, the result of increased pressure within the eye.
Although the condition is not curable, blindness is preventable if the glaucoma is diagnosed and treated early enough – so regular eye tests are important in helping to detect the onset of the disease.
“In all the developed world, only half of those with glaucoma are diagnosed and receiving therapies,” says Moorfields’ expert Ian Murdoch. “This need not be the case – everyone has access to eye health professionals.”
World Sight Day, an annual event led by charity Vision 2020, aims to raise public awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues, influence governments to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programmes and educate target audiences about blindness prevention.
For further details about World Sight Day, please visit www.v2020.org.
