When Anastasia first began experiencing vision problems, she went to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with pterygium — a growth on the eye’s conjunctiva. But, the pterygium was still immature, and she was advised to wait. By the time it had matured enough to be removed, her husband had grown older, fallen ill and was no longer able to work, leaving them without the means to pay for the surgery. “As a sole breadwinner and a mother of two teenagers who is also taking care of my husband, my meagre income could hardly take care of our daily needs, so undergoing a surgery was an impossible dream,” Anastasia shared. 

Hope returned when Anastasia heard about an eye screening camp organized by Operation Eyesight. She attended, expecting little more than medication, but instead, she was diagnosed with a mature pterygium that could be removed through surgery at Operation Eyesight’s partner hospital Watborg Eye Services — free of charge, thanks to the generosity of donors. Anastasia underwent successful surgery, and she was also diagnosed with a refractive error and received prescription glasses at no cost. 

With her vision fully restored and her business back on track, Anastasia could finally see a brighter future for her family.  

“Though I feel that a mere thank you is not enough to express my appreciation, there is no other way to express to my joy except with a thank you. I am immensely grateful to Operation Eyesight for coming through for me.” – Anastasia  

Your support can help restore vision and hope for someone like Anastasia. By giving the Gift of Sight, you not only honour your loved ones, but also extend the spirit of compassion and generosity to someone across the world. 

Written with files from Dora Ewusi.

The post With sight restored, Anastasia reclaims her independence appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

#1: No Poverty: by preventing blindness and restoring sight to help people keep their jobs or return to work, eye health care access helps break the cycle of poverty.  

#5: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: by training primarily women as community health workers, and by ensuring that women and girls receive equal access to eye health services, our programs give women the opportunity to expand their skills and work to support their families.  

#6: Clean Water and Sanitation: by working with communities in Kenya and Zambia to drill boreholes to provide fresh water, and by educating communities to promote good hygiene, we help prevent bacterial infections that can cause blinding trachoma and digestive illnesses.  

#17: Partnerships for the Goals: by establishing long-standing relationships with governments and Ministries of Health in the countries where we work, we work to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of our work.  

The World Health Organization’s 2019 World Report on Vision (WRV) estimates that at least 2.2 billion people suffer from vision impairment or blindness. It also estimates that at least 1 billion of these people live with vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed. The report warns that this is likely to increase dramatically in the coming decades due to population growth, aging, urbanization, and behavioral and lifestyle changes.  

This report was released before COVID-19 began to overwhelm health systems around the world. If no significant investments are made in eye health care at this time, an even larger proportion of the world’s population will suffer from blindness and vision impairment. This means greater loss of livelihood opportunities, dependency, hunger and malnutrition, and poverty.  

By following the WRV’s recommendations and incorporating eye health care into Universal Health Coverage, countries will be taking the first step towards ensuring that vision impairment doesn’t hold their citizens back in a cycle of poverty. Solutions exist right now, and the sooner countries employ them, the better off their citizens will be. 

In August 2020, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to urge member countries to implement the recommendations of the WRV. This elevated eye health as a priority that must be integrated into national health systems. By working with our partner governments and local Ministries of Health to implement our community eye health model, we are moving one step closer to achieving good health and well-being and making eye health care accessible to entire communities. 

Our work would not be possible without support from generous donors like you. Donate today to help us eliminate avoidable blindness. Not only will your gift help prevent blindness and restore sight for those in need, but you’ll also contribute to the achievement of the SDGs – For All the World To See!   

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