© Photo: RexThe Countess of Wessex kicked off her tour of India with The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust as she visited a number of hospitals in Hyderabad. This trip marks Sophie's last international tour as Vice Patron of the trust, as the time-limited charity's projects are due to wrap up early next year.
Throughout her tour, the Countess will visit hospitals in Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi between Monday 29 April and Friday 3 May. As she travels across the country, Sophie will see first-hand the work that the trust has supported in preventing premature babies from losing their sight due to Retinopathy of Prematurity, an entirely avoidable form of blindness in newborn and the leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide.
A long-time supporter of the trust, the cause is one particularly close to Sophie's heart, as her 15-year-old daughter with Prince Edward, Lady Louise, was born prematurely and with a severe squint. Over the years, Sophie has supported a number of blindness prevention charities and is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
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© Photo: RexArriving in Hyderabad on Monday the Countess visited a number of hospitals in the area to learn about the hard work the Diamond Jubilee Trust is supporting. During her visit, Sophie saw the screening facilities and treatment services that have been introduced to test and treat for blindness in newborns.
© Photo: RexThe trip to the hospital was an emotional one for the Countess, who met with prematurely-born babies and their mothers to learn first hand about the programmes in place. The connection to her own daughter's premature birth clearly made for a personal connection for the royal, who looked emotional as she met a tiny premature child.
© Photo: RexAs she visited three hospitals throughout the city, Sophie spoke to doctors about the connections between premature birth and blindness. Around 20% of babies born prematurely will suffer from damaged vision, which mainly occurs in babies who are born before the 32nd week of pregnancy or weigh less than 1.5kg when they are born.
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© Photo: RexAfter chatting with the inspirational health care workers about their incredible work, Sophie was gifted a stunning traditional scarf from a doctor. Thanking the team for the present, the Countess was amazed and impressed by the facilities funded by the Diamond Jubilee Trust.
© Photo: RexThe Countess wore a pair of chic floral trousers in autumnal tones and a long sleeve pink blouse as she visited the hospital, covering her outfit with protective layers and a hairnet when coming in contact with the newborn babies.
