You have been a light for more than 181 thousand people
With your support to IHH in the last 16 years, more than 181 thousand people have seen the light. The cataract operations we started in 2007 with the slogan "If You See, They Will See" continue in 20 countries in Africa and Asia. For 90 dollars, you can help one person to have an operation and open their eyes.
Cataract disease, which is generally seen in the elderly in Turkey and causes blindness when left untreated, is widely seen worldwide due to age, malnutrition, prolonged exposure to strong light and eye traumas. Due to technical and financial impossibilities, millions of people lose their sight because they cannot undergo surgery and live their lives dependent on others.
To date, 1.094.320 people have undergone health check-ups. 704.100 people were examined and more than 181 thousand people were operated and regained their sight.
- This is how you would see the world if you had cataracts.
- Is this disease curable?
Treatment is only possible with surgery. Moreover, this surgery takes only 15 minutes. However, even a short cataract surgery can be impossible when financial and technical inadequacies are considered.
- What is IHH doing in this regard?
Since 2007, we have been performing cataract surgeries. Until today;
1.094.320 people have undergone a health check.
704.100 people were examined.
196.132 people were operated and started to see again.
Since 2007, our Foundation has periodically performed cataract surgeries in a total of 20 countries. These countries are: Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Chad, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Niger, Sudan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Syria. In 2014, we established an eye hospital in Niger, which we handed over to the Niger Ministry of Health in 2019. - Patient selection and operation time
In the regions where cataract studies are carried out, the number of patients is determined according to the amount of donations received. Cataract patients are treated in the number corresponding to the allocated budget. Patient identification, surgery and recovery process may vary according to countries. In some countries, long legal procedures can increase this period up to 6 - 8 months.
- What can I do?
You can be instrumental in helping a person to see again by donating only 90 Dollars. When you leave the hospital, you should see the joy of the people who look around with seeing eyes and rejoice and pray for those who are instrumental in this.
Frequently Asked Questions
181 thousand people in 16 years
Leaving behind the 16th year of cataract operations behind, IHH helped 196.132 people to see again with the support of philanthropists.
With your donations, you can be a light for cataract patients with a 15 minute surgery.
SUPPORT
In 2014, IHH was instrumental in the establishment of an eye hospital in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The hospital gave hope to thousands of patients who could not undergo surgery due to financial and technical impossibilities; more than 10 thousand surgeries were performed in 5 years. The hospital was transferred to the Niger Ministry of Health in 2019.
In the village of Nimetullah, we entered a garden surrounded by adobe bricks. We sat on the chairs in front of the house after the people of the house welcomed us. This is the house of Uncle İbrahim, the former imam of the village. I say former imam because Uncle Ibrahim had cataracts last year and had to give up imamate.
He went to the doctor and learnt that he could see again if he had an operation. But he had no means to have an operation. Still, he did not despair. "I told the doctor that I would pray to God a lot and maybe one morning I would be able to come for surgery," he says. He hoped that he could borrow money from his acquaintances, but he could not get enough money.
Uncle İbrahim learnt last week that he could have surgery. "I was very happy when I first learnt about it. I was very sad because I couldn't read the Qur'an. I missed being able to go to the mosque by myself and visit my friends in the village."
Now he can read the Qur'an and go to the mosque alone like before. He prayed very, very much to the benefactors. We took happy photos of him with his grandchildren. When we set off to return to the capital Bamako, the sun had set half an hour ago and it was already dark. Waving goodbye to the beautiful people in Nimetullah village, we started the journey that would take two and a half hours.
Serdar Gürçay, Mali, 2022