No doubt many of your readers will have been horrified by the massive scale of preventable blindness worldwide, referred to in the new World Health Organisation Campaign 2020 (optician, News February 26). At its November annual general meeting, Vision Aid Overseas volunteers heard much the same message from Martin Kyndt, the deputy overseas director of Sightsavers International, who was guest speaker. Some 50 per cent of the world's 'blind' simply need spectacles to return to the sighted world. By fortunate coincidence, VAO's current publicity campaign shows a typical example in the same issue (page 39). I would like to draw readers' attention to the plight of millions of underprivileged people and urge them to support the work of Vision Aid Overseas, either financially or by voluntary efforts within the UK and/or in developing countries. Carole Randall General Secretary, Vision Aid Overseas