Campaigns

Eliminating avoidable sight loss

Summary: One of RNIB's priority campaigns is to end avoidable sight loss in the UK.

• Why is this a priority?
• Current campaigns
• Past campaigns
• Get involved

---

Why is this a priority?

There are two million people in the UK who are at risk of needlessly losing their sight through treatable eye conditions. We feel that preventing avoidable sight loss and improving provision for blind and partially sighted people are part of the same challenge. Sight loss has to move up the political agenda if we are to achieve lasting change.

RNIB wants an end to all avoidable sight loss by 2020. Over 50 per cent of sight loss in the UK is avoidable.

We will campaign to:

• increase the take-up of regular eye tests
• ensure new treatments are delivered on the NHS
• move prevention of sight loss significantly up Government health priorities
• ensure screening programmes reach at-risk groups.

Current campaigns

RNIB and the Macular Disease Society are engaged in the NICE appraisal of two new treatments of wet AMD. Access to these new drugs could mean that 20,000 people in the UK could avoid losing their sight. AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK.

Sight loss is no longer an unavoidable consequence of ageing Yet almost half of all people aged 60 and over do not have regular eye tests. In response to findings from an RNIB report entitled 'Older people and eye tests – ‘Don't let age rob you of your sight', Eye Test Action Day 2007 is aiming to encourage older people to take up regular eye tests as an important eye health check.

Help us to reach the Vision 2020 objective to eradicate all avoidable sight loss by 2020. Sign up to our Charter and enable people to 'See the Future Today'.

We are campaigning for better glaucoma awareness, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the UK

Our 'Open your Eyes' campaign was launched at an event in the Houses of Parliament on 24 January 2006. The campaign seeks to encourage more people to have a regular eye test, raise eye health up the political agenda and to secure improved social care services for those with sight loss

RNIB and the Macular Disease Society are calling on the Department of Health to radically improve care pathways for patients and proactively audit the implementation of NICE guidance on Photo-dynamic therapy (PDT)

Further information about eye health.

Past campaigns

• Eye Test Action Day 2006 launched our new campaign report 'Feeling great, looking good' - about the importance of a healthy lifestyle in looking after your sight
• The link between smoking and age-related macular degeneration was revealed through events at Eye Test Action Day 2005. RNIB and the AMD Alliance UK promoted the links between smoking and blindness at the 2005 party conferences
• Eye Test Action Day 2004 showed that a third of all drivers, 13 million people, are not having their eyes tested regularly.
• Photo Dynamic Therapy 2004 - PDT treatment for wet age related macular degeneration is made available on the NHS.

Get involved

There are many ways you can get involved. Each campaign has information about the ways that you can take part. From writing to your MP, to helping us spread the word, there is something for everyone.

Do you have a story to tell? Personal experiences are a very effective way of getting the message across. Contact us about how you could feature as a case study.

Our campaign toolkit has further information and advice for people wanting to campaign on our behalf.

Content author: campaign@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 08/04/2008 18:38