A fight for sight that we all need to join | Letters

Betty Boothroyd, former Speaker of the House of Commons, calls for more research funding for eye healthRe your article on age-related macular degeneration (G2, 16 July), this week the eye research charityFight for Sight is launching a campaign to raise awareness of eye health and the desperate need for more research funding. This is an issue close to my heart. Many people of my age are starting to have difficulty with their sight and over 2 million people in the UK are affected by sight loss – a figure set to double by 2050. The answer lies in research. Breakthroughs have already led to pioneering treatments that have transformed people’s lives – for example, cataract surgery which today takes just 20 minutes and benefits hundreds of thousands of people every year. However, eye re search remains woefully underfunded – a Fight for Sight review shows that just 1% of public grant funding went to this area last year. While investigations into stem cells and gene therapy offer hope for the future, there is much more work to be done. I hope others will join me this week in suppor ting Fight for Sight to achieve the next breakthrough, so we can build a future where everyone can see.Betty BoothroydHouse of Lords• Would you like to submit a photograph to be printed in the Guardian’s letters spread? If so,you can do so hereContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Medical research Society Health Science Source Type: news