Queen’s University Belfast hosts special events in celebration of World Sight Day
Two special events celebrating World Sight Day 2025 were held this week by Queen’s University.
World Sight Day is a global event observed every year on the second Thursday of October to focus the world's attention on the importance of blindness and vision impairment.
To mark the occasion, researchers from Queen’s University, led by Professor Tunde Peto from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s, held a variety of activities across the University.
Building on the success of previous years, both World Sight Day (9 October 2025) and Pan-Ireland Ophthalmology Day (10 October) events focused attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.
The two events brought together specialists from eye health, vision science, image processing and eye screening and featured presentations from leading experts. It celebrated the 20th anniversary of Professor Tunde Peto overseeing the organisation of World Sight Day Celebrations in the UK, first in London, and then in Belfast since 2016.
World Sight Day was opened by Professor Tunde and included guests from around the world. The key lecture delivered by Adam Mapani MBE, First Nurse Consultant in Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London.
The celebration event featured important discussions around new research into diabetic eye screening and treatment pathways and the UN Resolution on Vision and The Hamburg City Health Study, a population based study which is currently looking into factors that cause major chronic diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy.
The Pan-Ireland Ophthalmology Day event was opened by Miss Dilani Siriwardena, Vice President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists with Mr Gerry Fahy, President of the Irish College of Ophthalmologist and Professor Ian Bruce, Pro-Vice-Chancellor from the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences from Queen’s University Belfast, welcoming the afternoon session. The event discussed challenges and advancements in eye health.
Together with the Royal Physiology Society, a dedicated half-day symposium on retina physiology was included in this year’s programme with world renowned speakers attending.
The Pan-Ireland Ophthalmology Day also featured important discussions around the latest in clinical cases and research from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Women in Vision Ireland Award Session included excellent talks from early-stage career women.
Speaking about the success of the events, Professor Tunde Peto, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast said: “World Sight Day is an opportunity to come together as a community to highlight the importance of eye care and prevent avoidable vision loss and we at Queen’s are proud to support this important global initiative.”"These successful events bring together eye care professionals and researchers each year to foster collaboration and help promote the advancement, knowledge and treatment of eye disease.
“The research and clinical trials we are undertaking around eye health at Queen’s is truly groundbreaking and we hope these new discoveries and innovations that advance eye care and prevent vision loss will continue to improve the lives of those around the world.”
Professor Tunde Peto
Clinical Professor
Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
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