The Duchess of Edinburgh has donned a pair of heart-shaped glasses and told a global summit that tackling avoidable blindness must be treated as seriously as any other health challenge.

Sophie, who is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, made the remarks in a speech on Monday to the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda .

She said: "For too long treatable and avoidable blindness has been overlooked, perceived perhaps as a non-vital and non-life-threatening condition.

"However, the treatment of avoidable blindness is as imperative as any other health challenge, not only because it prevents individuals from losing their window onto the world, curtailing life chances and choices, but if treated with low cost and effective interventions there are huge returns to be had.

“Simply put – it just does not have to happen and the rewards are huge.”

Sophie addressing the summit (IAPB)

The summit, which is being held alongside the…