Sophie wears heart-shaped glasses to promote importance of global eye health

The Duchess of Edinburgh donned a pair of white heart-shaped glasses in Antigua and Barbuda to raise awareness of the drive to improve eye health across the world.Sophie joined delegates in putting on the novelty frames as she attended the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health, which is being held alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St John’s.Her visit coincided with the King and Queen’s official tour to the Caribbean nation, but the royals did not meet during the duchess’s brief trip because of their busy programmes.Sophie addressing the summit (David Poultney/IAPB/PA)PA MediaThe duchess, who is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, stressed the importance of tackling avoidable blindness in a speech to the summit on Monday.She said: “For too long treatable and avoidable blindness has been overlooked, perceived perhaps as a non-vital and non-life-threatening condition.“However, the treatment of avoidable blindness is as imperative as any other health challenge, not only because it prevents individuals from losing their window onto the world, curtailing life chances and choices, but if treated with low cost and effective interventions there are huge returns to be had.“Simply put – it just does not have to happen and the rewards are huge.”The duchess is shown how to use medical equipment during her visit to Antigua (David Poultney/IAPB/PA)PA MediaSome 200 commitments to transform eye health worldwide were secured at the summit including more than one billion US dollars in government pledges to tackle avoidable sight loss and the promise of 68 million glasses and 13 million cataract surgeries.The duchess spoke of witnessing sight being saved through operations and screening during her role with the agency, adding: “What always stays with me is the stories from those people: A mother who can prepare a family meal safely and read to her children.“A student who can finally see the board in class because they have received prescription lenses. A father who can return to meaningful employment. A grandmother whose independence and dignity has been given back to her.Sophie joins others at the summit in wearing the heart shaped glasses (David Poultney/IAPB/PA)PA Media“I have seen so many times how one person’s sight being restored changes a whole family, as well as a whole community.”She also visited an eye clinic supported by the Cure Blindness Project, where she met Antiguan nurses who recently completed specialist ophthalmic training and are helping expand access to eye care services across the country.