1,000 cataract sufferers will see again
IHH has begun the cataract surgeries for 1,000 cataract sufferers as part of the “100,000 Surgeries for Africa” project within the Afgoye region of Somalia.
Somalia 02.06.2014
IHH is continuing with its cataract surgery project for 2014. In particular, patients in areas that have limited medical facitilities are regaining their vision thanks to the project.
With the slogan “If you see them, they will see you”, the project that has begun in Africa to date has performed 77761 cataract surgeries and are now preparing for new surgeries.
Beginning in 2007 till today, the surgeries have been performed under the “100,000 Surgeries in Africa Project” and are a joint project between IHH and the Zamzam Foundation.
IHH teams together with the Zamzam foundation have begun the cataract surgeries for in the Agoye area of Somalia.
Cataract is widely spread throughout Africa
It has come to the attention of many that there are a great deal of young people being diagnosed with cataract and that many have been incidences where they have been unable to have proper medical care. With Somalia being the central location for surgeries, it is seen that inadequate and poor nutrition as well as exposure to sunlight has been the main widespread cause for cataracts leading to blindness.
Fighting political instability, civil war and drought, many Somalians are likely to have never seen a doctor in their lifetime. With eye specialists being so limited in a country with a widespread cataract problem, many never see a doctor either because of insufficient doctors or inability to pay for the surgery itself.
Africa has 10 million people with vision issues
Generally speaking there are close to 10 million people with vision issues living in African and according to statistics close to 5 million are cataract sufferers. Poor nutrition, vitamin deficiency, direct sunlight (uv exposure) are the biggest factors in Africa and that inadequate treatment results in 600,000 people added to this figure.
Financial burden of surgery
Whilst the cost of cataract surgery changes from country to country, on average the surgery on one eye costs 100 USD. For each surgery, the fee can be reduced with incoming donations, helping people to see light once more.
You can contribute to the IHH Africa Project through various ways:
You can visit the IHH office and pay in person.
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