UK's Lax Attitude to Eye Health Revealed in new Research Conducted by Sight-Saving Charity Orbis

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ORBIS UK

09 Oct, 2014, 12:37 GMT

LONDON, October 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The charity conducted a nationwide survey to delve into the British public's attitude to eye health in time for World Sight Day (9th October):

  • 93% of the 2000 people surveyed did not feel eye health was a top concern and over 50% are failing to get their eyes tested regularly.
  • 4 in 5 said that they lack sufficient knowledge of eye diseases and eye health yet those surveyed revealed they valued their sight more than any other sense.
  • With an ageing population and increased risk of obesity and diabetes more and more of the British public are at risk of visual impairment, making it a very real issue.
  • Orbis wants to stress the importance of eye health and encourage Brits to take advantage of our world class eye health services and get their eyes tested at least every two years.

Mr Brian Little, Orbis Ambassador, volunteer, and consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, says: "Brits tell us they value their sight more than any other sense, yet our study shows four in five admit they lack knowledge about eye health and eye diseases. The alarming reality is that the number of people at risk of losing their sight in the UK is increasing - numbers are set to double to over 4 million by 2050, due to an aging population and increased risk of obesity and diabetes, making sight loss a very real issue for the British public.  

"As a nation we know we have access to eye health services if our sight begins to deteriorate and this may make the issue less urgent in people's minds. We are very lucky: in many of the countries in which Orbis works, access to eye care is severely limited and losing your vision will often mean losing your livelihood or even worse."

One such country is Ethiopia, which has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world with four million people blind or visually impaired. Orbis recently launched a special appeal http://www.visionforethiopia.orbis.org to increase awareness and raise funds for its work in Ethiopia preventing and treating avoidable blindness.

More information here: http://www.orbis.org/pages/uks-lax-attitude-to-eye-health-revealed-in-new-research