According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, 250,000 Canadians suffer from glaucoma.

Although glaucoma can be treated and sight often maintained (if diagnosed in time), an estimated seven million people are blind because of it, accounting for 2.8 percent of global visual impairment.

Although anyone may develop glaucoma, some people – such as those with high blood pressure – have a higher risk. You can learn about the risk factors for developing glaucoma on the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness’ website.

This week, help spread awareness about this blinding disease by sharing this blog post with your friends and family. And remember to book your next eye examination.

You can also make a donation to support our work. Early detection is the best way to prevent blindness due to glaucoma.  By facilitating eye screenings, providing eye exam equipment and supporting medical personnel at our partner facilities, Operation Eyesight helps prevent, diagnose and treat glaucoma.

Together we can help ensure that people living in Africa and Asia have access to the eye care services they need to preserve their vision – For All The World To See!

The post Let’s raise awareness about glaucoma appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Back in 2011, Operation Eyesight drilled a borehole in Muuka village, located in Zambia’s Sinazongwe District. Because of generous donors like you, 238 people finally had access to clean water. As a result, the population increased to nearly 350, as more people settled in the village and new families were started.

Unfortunately, the borehole become dysfunctional in 2016, and the community didn’t have the capacity to fix it. To make matters worse, the dry season in the Sinazongwe District is very dry, with little to no rain. All the deciduous trees shed all their leaves in August, and there is no green vegetation visible for miles. Years of inadequate rainfall in the district have caused all the hand-dug water holes and seasonal streams to dry up in Muuka village. Because of this, the villagers faced immense challenges in sourcing the water they needed while the borehole wasn’t working.

The water source they did manage to find wasn’t protected, so they had to share it with animals. This meant they were susceptible to disease. It also meant they didn’t have clean, safe water to wash their faces and hands with, which put them at risk of contracting trachoma. Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection which spreads easily through contact with eye discharge from infected people on hands and clothing, and also through direct transmission by flies. Left untreated, trachoma leads to irreversible blindness.

Fortunately, Operation Eyesight’s donors stepped in to help, by donating to our borehole rehabilitation training program. The people of Muuka village were delighted to see a team of local, Operation Eyesight-trained pump minders arrive to rehabilitate their borehole.  

Excited, the people of Muuka village gathered around the dry and dusty borehole to watch the pump minders do their work. When it was done, everyone was filled with joy! The women looked on smiling as their children hurried for their turn to drink the flowing water.

Thanks to kind-hearted people like you, the people of Muuka village have a reliable source of clean water again. Now families have safe water for cleaning and cooking, and they can help stop the spread of trachoma and other disease. Our donors should be so proud of the incredible difference they’re making in the lives of thousands.

You can help other villages like Muuka by donating to our Greatest Needs program, so that families will receive the help they need when they need it – For All The World To See!

The post Water is flowing again in Muuka village, Zambia appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

We’ve been working in Kerala since 1973, as part of our long-term development strategy to eliminate avoidable blindness in India.” While we’re not a disaster relief organization, Little Flower Hospital came to us, explaining the severity of the situation and asking us for help. We already have the processes and resources in place to provide immediate eye care to those in need, and we’re eager to help.

Hit by monsoon rains and torrential downpours, Kerala received over 222 cm of rainfall (40 per cent more than average) between June and August this year. Roads have been washed out and 80 per cent of the state was without electricity for almost a week. Homes were destroyed, leaving millions of people displaced and without any of their possessions, including their eyeglasses.

With the spread of waterborne bacteria, there is already a reported rise in eye infections – but people are unable to access eye care services for medicine or treatment. To make matters worse, there is a shortage of ophthalmic personnel and people are also unable to access their money to pay for services.

“We’re grateful to our donors who have given generously to our Greatest Needs Fund in the past, trusting us to put their donations to good use where it’s most needed in our work,” says Aly Bandali, our President & CEO. “This gives us the flexibility to be able to respond to situations like this.”

Little Flower Hospital has started conducting medical camps in relief camp sites, however, their resources are extremely limited, and thousands of people in need of medical assistance are being left out. Our team in India already has a plan in place to reach those who are unable to access, or afford, eye care services right now.

“We’ve started mapping out the areas where the need is greatest and will soon be mobilizing community outreach teams,” says Dr. Santosh Moses, our Regional Manager in South Asia. “At the health camps, we’ll screen people for eye problems and provide free eye care treatment for those in need. We’ll provide antibiotics to treat infection, new prescription eyeglasses, surgical treatment and other eye services as needed.”

Our organization has been working with Little Flower Hospital since 1975. As an international development organization, we’ve supported the establishment of the hospital’s eye department, enabling Little Flower Hospital to perform the first corneal transplantations in India. In addition, we’ve worked with eight other local eye hospitals in the past, at one point covering 10 out of the 14 districts in the state.

While we aim to integrate eye care services into the country’s existing infrastructure and ultimately help partner hospitals become self-sustaining, we’re also able to utilize its existing partnerships to react quickly to events such as the Kerala floods.

Your support means so much to so many! To help us to continue our sight-saving work in Africa and South Asia, you can donate $5 by texting “EYESIGHT” to 45678 or by going to our donation page.

The post Worst floods in a century have left people vulnerable, without access to eye care appeared first on Operation Eyesight.