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A member of the British Royal Family, The Countess of Wessex splits her time between her work in support of Her Majesty The Queen and visits to her own charities and organisations.
The Countess is passionate about eliminating avoidable blindness and, since 2003, has been a Global Ambassador for IAPB. She was also Patron of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.
Through these roles and as Vice Patron of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, The Countess has seen first-hand the difference organisations with the right knowledge, experience and funding can make on a global scale.
In its lifetime, The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust helped more than 22 million people in Africa and the Pacific receive vital antibiotics to combat trachoma – the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. It provided sight saving surgery to over 104,000 people suffering with trachoma trichiasis and ensured almost 19,200 people received treatment to prevent the loss of sight due to diabetes.
In 2013, Her Royal Highness visited the Orbis flying hospital programme in India and Qatar where she saw first-hand the many global issues around preventable blindness.
The Countess enjoys an active role as an IAPB Global Ambassador, she has hosted an IAPB meeting with Her Majesty The Queen to mark World Sight Day 2020, attended a Vision for the Commonwealth event at St James’ Palace and marked the elimination of Trachoma in the Gambia in Spring 2021.
