Initiative: Blindness Prevention

Need

It is estimated that there are 300,000 blind children and 6.5 million blind adults in Africa today. Fearsome statistics like this brought about ‘Vision 2020: The Right to Sight’, a global campaign of the World Health Organization (WHO) and IAPB.

International Aid's Christian Eye Ministry is pursuing a common goal with WHO and IAPB, and many other health organizations, to prevent an additional 100 million people from going blind over the next 20 years.

By establishing collaborative initiatives and supporting low-cost, locally managed eye care centers, International Aid's Christian Eye Ministry (CEM) offers the world's poorest communities modern eye care as an expression of the Christian message.

  • 90% of all blind people live in developing countries.
  • 80% of world blindness is preventable or curable.
  • 50% of all blind are blind due to cataracts.

Visual disability and blindness caused by cataracts, glaucoma, and untreated infectious diseases affect hundreds of thousands of people in impoverished regions of the world. In Ghana, alone, 80% of people blinded by cataracts do not receive treatment due to poverty and the lack of access to eye care service.

Solution

Eye Care Professional Volunteers

Ophthalmic volunteers recruited by International Aid have treated 650,000 people and performed 22,000 sight-restoring surgeries in the poorest regions of the world. More volunteers are needed. Learn how to volunteer now (PDF)

Eye Care Facilities

By operating and supporting low-cost, locally managed eye care centers, International Aid offers the world's poorest communities modern eye care as an expression of the Christian message.

Ghana Prevalence of Eye Disease Survey

International Aid is conducting a survey to evaluate the prevalence and severity of ocular disease and vision loss. Findings will improve International Aid's ability to procure and allocate resources, and help identify, monitor, and respond to infectious diseases causes of visual disability.

Optical Outreach Brigades

Optical Outreach Brigades, comprised of volunteers and optical staff from the clinics, perform screenings in far-off villages, evaluating risk of eye disease and the need for treatment or spectacles.

“Healthy Eye”

“Healthy Eye” Training initiatives teach primary health care workers and leaders living in rural villages how to recognize abnormal eye symptoms.

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