For residents of remote communities, getting from the village into the city for healthcare can be challenging at the best of times.

It’s especially difficult for those experiencing vision loss.

Now, thanks to a new 14-seat TATA Winger Van, residents in the state’s South Garo Hills have better access to eye health care. The vehicle is bringing health care workers to the area’s most remote villages to deliver eye screenings and referrals, and to transport patients who need further diagnosis or treatment to the Patharkhmah Community Health Centre.

Operation Eyesight’s Dr. Ritu Ghosh handed over the keys to the vehicle to Dr Sapna Dey, State Program Manager, NPCB & VI, with Mr. Ram Kumar, MD NHM of the Government of Meghalaya in February, and the patient transport vehicle is now serving communities in the region.

Thanks to Dan Parlow, member of the Operation Eyesight Canada Board of Directors, for the donation that made this patient transport vehicle possible!

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Udhampur Block is a rural area perched high in the foothills of the Himalayas in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region. Due to the rugged terrain and roads that are often affected by flooding, it can be difficult for the people who live there to access services like eye health care. For women and girls, the barriers are even greater, as the men and boys in their families are often prioritized for health treatment.

What’s more, our research in the area revealed health myths affecting women, including those that suggest that a woman wearing eyeglasses is in poor health overall, that poor eye health is a result of sinful behaviour in a past life and that only elderly people should wear eyeglasses.

The idea behind this project is to outfit a four-wheel-drive vehicle as a fully functioning optometry clinic. An all-female heath care team will run the mobile clinic and deliver services to everyone in the project area.

We are training eight local women as Community Health Workers to do door-to-door eye screenings and to provide referrals to the Rotary Eye and ENT Hospital. They will also deliver educational sessions to women’s groups, with the goal of debunking the female eye health myths that exist in the communities.

People in the area will also be asked for their input on what kind of eye health education they would like to receive using a type of participatory research called PhotoVoice. This research will place cameras into the hands of locals, who will be asked to take pictures of things that highlight the themes of the research: activities, beliefs and circumstances of eye health.

Ninety per cent of blindness worldwide is preventable or treatable, but people in underserved areas like Udhampur Block often fall through the cracks. This project will help people get access to the eye health care they need while also addressing some of the gender inequalities related to poor vision.

This innovative project aims to:
✔ Address the barriers faced by women and girls by targeting feminine eye health myths that perpetuate inequality;
✔ Incorporate input from local women on the content of our eye health education sessions and the delivery of eye health services on an ongoing basis;
✔ Activate a Mobile Vision Centre to provide eye health services to people’s doorsteps, so that all residents, including women and girls, can avoid travel-related barriers;
✔ Make role models of local women and girls by publicly engaging them in good eye health practices; and
✔ Generate buy-in from men and boys about the importance of women’s and girls’ eye health.

We are grateful to partner with NorQuest College on this initiative, which was awarded the Fund for Innovation and Transformation by the Inter-Council Network and Global Affairs Canada. To learn more, sign up for our newsletter to receive project updates: operationeyesight.com/signup

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South Asia

Our outreach in South Asia spans India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In celebration of World Sight Day, our team inaugurated thirteen vision centers across four states in India. Each vision centre will serve a population of approximately 50,000 and support two female community health workers from their local communities. We also opened a vision centre in Bangladesh. In our live interview with our India country manager, Anup Zimba, he shares that “vision centres are the solution to accessibility.” We are pleased to be able to bring them in remote communities in need of eye care.

In Nepal, in partnership with the Nepal Eye Hospital of Kathmandu, Operation Eyesight launched the Nepal Mobile Eye Unit. Equipped to identify cataract and other eye conditions, the Mobile Eye Unit will be used for primary screening programs in some of the most remote areas of Nepal. Patients will receive eye treatment and transportation free of charge. Coined “Vision on Wheels,” the vehicle will bring quality eye care to four suburbs of the Kathmandu Valley and three to four districts around and nearing Kathmandu.

Zambia

Hosting outreach eye screening camps reduces some of the barriers to accessing eye care, such as lack of transportation or child care. On WSD, our team in Zambia was able to host our first eye screening camp of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following increased hygiene practices and social distancing, community members were screened for eye infections. They were then referred for treatment or provided with eye glasses if necessary. Members of the community were very excited that eye screenings camps are resuming after six months of  lockdown. Screening camps raise awareness and encourage communities to focus on eye health as a priority. Paul Mpundu Kulya, our Zambia Project Coordinator, notes “one thing I know is that blindness can be avoided, it is unacceptable that people should go blind due to avoidable causes. Eye health needs to be a priority just like conditions such as malaria and tuberculosis.”

While outreach camps were on hold during the lockdown, our Zambia team continued our work in eliminating blinding trachoma by focusing on WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). They were able to rehabilitate 145 dysfunctional boreholes to provide clean water to over 35,000 people.  The ripple effect of bringing clean water close to communities is profound. Many children, especially girls, are forced out of school due to lack of clean water, latrines and sanitary facilities. By restoring access to clean water, Operation Eyesight was able to help with preventative measures against COVID-19 and trachoma, and provide a positive effect to entire communities.

Kenya

In Kenya, we were able to conduct screening camps and we shared the journey of Michael, who benefited from our program. During the week of the screening camp, a community health worker identified Michael as completely blind due to cataracts. Michael has suffered from avoidable blindness for three years. He was forced to quit his job as a watchman and was reliant on friends and neighbours for food. As a result of our outreach camps, Michael was referred to one of our partner hospitals, where he received sight restorative surgery. Michael has regained his independence and is looking for a job in his community.  Outreach camps provide access and give hope to those needlessly suffering from avoidable blindness.

Ghana

In honor of WSD, our team in Ghana hosted an eye screening camp. We were also able to open our first vision centre in Awutu Senya. This will help bring quality eye care closer to those in need. Additionally, we interviewed our Technical Advisor located in Ghana, Dr. Boateng Wiafe. With over 35 years of experience in eye care, Dr. Wiafe provided key insight into the importance of eye health. He emphasized that “eyesight is one of the most important senses we have, in fact, 80 percent of what we perceive comes through the sense of sight.” Even more so, “the eyes are the window of the body,” and much can be determined about overall health by diagnosing eye conditions. 

By protecting our eyes, we reduce the odds of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing disease. He recommends that after the age of 40, everyone should get their eyes checked at least once every other year.  Prevention and priority are key.

Our global celebrations of WSD highlighted the incredible work being done by Operation Eyesight and our partners around the world. We know that eye health is essential to thriving communities and that 80 percent of eye health problems are avoidable or treatable. Prioritizing eye health and reducing the barrier of accessibility can lead to profound results. We are so grateful to donors who have helped make our work possible, and we are pleased to highlight the impact their gifts are contributing to. There is #HopeInSight in ending avoidable blindness, join us today!

*This year make eye health a priority and pledge to get your eyes tested.

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Jabow’s typical day starts with completing all her household chores early in the morning. In the afternoon, she goes door-to-door in her community to screen each household for eye health issues and educates the community about the importance of eye health-seeking behaviour.

In her early days, she ran a child care centre in her community, using the money she’d make from sewing and selling clothes in the village to support the centre and the nearly 200 children enrolled.

During her first meeting with a member from our team, she was very happy to hear that people in her community would have access to quality eye care, including her mother who was struggling with her own eye health.

It wasn’t until Jabow conducted her first door-to-door screening that she understood how widespread eye health issues really were in her community. Now she identifies patients who require eye care and refers them for treatment.

One of Jabow’s major accomplishments was her contribution to the construction of a road leading into the village. A mobile eye unit was scheduled to come to the village, but residents were concerned that the unit wouldn’t reach them because of the road’s poor condition. But Jabow didn’t lose any hope. She rallied the young men in the village and requested government support for the road construction. A month later, the road was completed, and the mobile eye unit reached the village!

Jabow is respected and trusted by those in her community. Her work has made it possible for many children, women and men to receive sight-restoring eye treatments that have transformed their lives. Her community has given her the nickname “didi”, which means elder sister who cares for everyone’s health.

Because of you, Jabow will continue serving her community, and she is looking forward to declaring her village as avoidable blindness-free.

Thank you so much for being a part of Jabow’s story, and for being a part of her community’s story. You’ve already helped so many people, and together we can help so many more!

Let’s eliminate avoidable blindness – For All The World To See!

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