Looking forward
It is estimated that one in every 1,000 children in Africa is blind. The numbers have dropped due to better immunisation against conditions that can lead to blindness, such as measles and rubella. Also vitamin A distribution has been introduced. (A lack of vitamin A can cause drying and scarring of the cornea, leading to blindness.) However, these measures can’t prevent conditions present from birth, such as cataract.
“You have to screen a lot of kids to find those that need an operation,” says Ben Male of Sightsavers in Uganda. “But it’s worth its weight in gold when you do.”
A child’s eye is not a mini version of an adult’s eye – it needs to be treated differently as it is still growing. Therefore ophthalmologists who carry out childhood cataract surgery need special paediatric training. It is more expensive to treat a child for cataract than it is an adult, as children need to undergo a full general anaesthetic, so there must be an anaesthetist present.
However it’s a priceless investment, not least because blinding conditions increase child mortality: 50% of children who become blind die within two years. Plus a staggering 90% of children who are disabled don't go to school.
Click below to meet three of the children who have received cataract operations thanks to Sightsavers’ support.
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