Celebrities including singer Beverley Knight, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and comedian Rory Bremner are backing a charity campaign to highlight how less than £20 can help someone in the developing world to see again.
Some 45 million people around the world are blind, with 90% living in developing countries where access to treatment is made more difficult because of a lack of medical resources and financial support, according to charity Sightsavers.
Sightsavers, which helps to prevent and cure blindness in countries around the world, said it cost just £17 to restore the sight of someone with cataracts.
One of the people who has been helped by Sightsavers is 61-year-old Amina Cassimo from Mozambique, who was blinded by cataracts.
Amina is looking forward to being able to see her grandchildren after finally being diagnosed and given life-changing surgery to restore her vision.
She said: “What I am looking forward to most is being able to gather all my grandchildren around me and tell them we are now in the same world again because now we can see.”
Her thoughts are echoed by celebrities who are backing Sightsavers’ campaign to encourage more people to donate money to help the charity’s work around the world.
When asked what he would miss most if he lost his sight, comedian Rory said: “Everything from the faces of my family and seeing my children grow up to enjoying sights and scenery and light.”
Meanwhile TV presenter Lorraine said: “I would miss the faces of the people I love and beautiful sunsets and scenery. I would desperately miss being able to read books and watching classic films and TV.”
And singer Beverley said: “Waking up to realise I could never see my boyfriend’s face again would be devastating.”
Sightsavers launched its campaign after a survey it carried found that one in five people would chose luxuries such as a meal out or new clothes over finding £20 to save the sight of someone else.
This is despite 70% claiming their sight was priceless and 85% claiming their sight would be the sense they would miss most.
Nearly 75% said the thing they would miss the most if they were to lose their vision would be seeing their loved ones.
World Sight Day, on October 14, aims to raise awareness of blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired around the world.
Dr Caroline Harper, Sightsavers chief executive, said: “Last year Sightsavers was able to perform over 270,000 cataract surgeries, changing the lives of people in some of the poorest and remote parts of the world.
“This would not be possible without the generosity of the UK public.
“This World Sight Day we are encouraging people to think about what they might be willing to give up to be able to help others less fortunate than themselves, while remembering the huge impact it could have.”
For more information about Sightsavers’ World Sight Day campaign visit www.sightsavers.org.
