Dear Supporters

At the moment, the only way people with cataract can see clearly again is to have surgery. This can be very daunting and although cataract surgery is now common in the UK, the long-term success can be jeopardised by the development of after-cataract.

After-cataract develops when the cells that remain after surgery start to divide rapidly and cover the surface of both the remaining lens tissue and the new artificial lens, resulting once again in blurred vision and the need for further treatment.

In developing countries, facilities for cataract surgery are not always available and getting treatment for after-cataract can also be difficult. But if left untreated, cataract can cause blindness.

The number of people over 65 is likely to more than double in the next 20 years as the world population increases. This means that the number of people affected by cataract is bound to increase dramatically.

It is for these reasons and our firm belief that we can find a long-term solution that Fight for Sight is funding research into the prevention of cataract and after-cataract.

Dr Michael Wormstone and his team at the University of East Anglia are carrying out research that will give a greater understanding of the precise mechanisms that lead to cataract in order to find a way of preventing the condition. The study will also look at ways of preventing after-cataract. You can read more about this important research in the leaflet enclosed.

Please support us with a gift today and help find a way of preventing the most common cause of blindness in the world

If we could find a way of preventing cataract it would be a milestone in history. The breakthrough would make a difference to so many people’s lives both within the UK and across the globe.

There are different ways to make your donation, including an online payment option:

Please do all you can to support us today.

With kind regards

Professor Desmond Archer OBE FRCOphth FMedSci
Trustee and Chairman of Fight for Sight’s Research Strategy Advisory Group

PS It was Benjamin Franklin who coined the phrase “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It certainly rings true when it comes to sight loss. Please help make history by sending a gift today.