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Maria Sabado is a 33-year-old cataract surgeon who trained at Sheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre in The Gambia. She is now working in her native Guinea Bissau, to overcome barriers and bring cataract services closer to the people.

Guinea Bissau has many islands and secondary eye care services are non existent in these areas. We carry out eye camps on the islands to try and reach the isolated islanders. We also pay the transport cost for those who need to come back for cataract surgery, but can’t afford to travel.

I’m pleased that I can help people in the rural areas with eye health issues, as it’s a huge problem and so many people can’t get to the big hospitals in the cities for treatment.

It’s not always easy to convince people to come for surgery, but when patients go back to their village and everyone can see that they have got their sight back it encourages other villagers who suffer from cataracts to come for an operation so they can see well again too.
I will prove to the islanders that people should not go needlessly blind from cataract or trichiasis (advanced trachoma). Our recent trachoma survey showed that in Bubaque Island, about 839 people have sight threatening trichiasis in both eyes, but I feel I can make a difference.

When I’m not taking part in eye camps I work from 8am to 4pm at the Simao Mendes Hospital. My duties involve treating eye infections and trauma, and dealing with sight conditions such as glaucoma and cataract. It’s amazing doing cataract operations – knowing that the next day the person will be able to see!

I’m so proud to be one of the three people from Guinea Bissau to be trained in cataract surgery. The Sheikh Zayed Centre is so important - more people need to be trained in eye care in West Africa. More patients will then be able to access eye care services when the trained students go back to their respective countries.