In Focus: Meeting a demand

In almost 30 years, Ruth Perrot visited Africa 16 times to provide eye care services to people in towns and villages.

The York-based optometrist was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours 2021 Overseas and International List for services to people living with sight impairment in Africa.

Demand is high, Perrot explained to Optician, ‘in the towns where people are more literate, but presbyopia kicks in around the age of 35, or in the outlying villages where they cannot thread a needle.’

Perrott’s first visit was with Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) and involved trekking through a jungle in Cameroon alongside Health Projects Abroad. ‘It was quite an eye opener and an amazing introduction to the project,’ she says.