Duchess Sophie Dances for Joy With Patients Given the Gift of Sight in Zambia
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, danced for joy with patients cured of blindness on the final day of her Zambia tour.
The dance took place on Friday 19 September at Mukuni Rural Health Centre in Livingstone. It was held to recognise Zambia's progress towards eliminating trachoma, a bacterial eye infection that can cause permanent sight loss. HELLO! Magazine
The Duchess linked arms and moved in step with Alice Muchembele, one of the eye clinic's patients. Others clapped, sang and chanted in the local language. The words translate as: "We are happy because now we can see."
Six people shared their stories at the centre. Each had lived with trachoma, which left untreated turns the eyelashes inwards and scrapes the eye until sight is lost. Treatment is simple if caught early. Surgery or antibiotics can stop the damage.
The visit closed a five-day tour of the Republic of Zambia from Monday 14 September to Friday 19 September. Royal Family The itinerary took in Lusaka, the Lower Zambezi and Livingstone, with stops focused on eye care and women's enterprise.
It began with a performance by dancers at the British High Commission. The second day brought engagements in Lusaka on Tuesday. At Maramba Primary School, pupils welcomed the Duchess, 61, with drumming and singing.
Eye health ran through the week. In Lusaka the Duchess joined a reception hosted by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Orbis and Sightsavers, bringing together leaders from government, healthcare and civil society to press for greater resources for eye health. British charity Sightsavers is working with the Zambian government to eradicate trachoma as a public health problem, after success in Malawi in 2022.
The cause is personal for the Duchess. She helped her daughter Louise, now 22, overcome vision problems when she was younger. In 2021 she joined visually impaired cyclists for a tandem bike ride in Bushy Park.
What makes this stand out is the sound. Royal tours are often quiet handshakes and speeches. This one ended with music and dancing.
