Mercia Cumaio, from Mozambique, has worked at Sightsavers for nine years. She’s particularly dedicated to eliminating trachoma, and is a keen advocate for the importance of eye health.
Mercia is currently the programme manager for eye care projects in the Nampula region in northeastern Mozambique. The area has a population of about six million people, many of whom live in rural areas that are hard to reach by road.
In these areas, it can be challenging for residents to get help for eye problems. Yet these remote communities are home to almost 70 per cent of the people who need treatment for trachoma.
When Mercia first started working in Nampula, trachoma was a big problem. “There were no operations being provided to treat people with advanced trachoma – fewer than 10 patients had surgery each year,” she says. But thanks to The Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Trust’s Trachoma Initiative, the situation has changed dramatically.
“The prevalence of trachoma has fallen in three districts, and more than 1,500 people have been treated,” she explains. “It makes me really proud to know that we have worked hard and have reached many patients that would have not been treated through the normal eye health system.
“Eliminating trachoma is essential: if it’s not treated in time, the disease can cause irreversible blindness. This causes patients in the community to become isolated, leading them into a cycle of poverty. Eliminating trachoma will ultimately improve people’s quality of life. The programme has change the way community members think about eye care and has made sure more people seek help for eye issues.
“My favourite part of my work is seeing patients’ joy following sight-saving surgery when they have their bandages removed.”
“My favourite part of my work is seeing patients’ joy after sight-saving surgery”
So what inspired Mercia to work in eye health? She recounts a story from when she was a teenager, when she witnessed the discrimination faced by people with visual impairments. “The situation made me realise how people who are blind can be treated so harshly by society. It made me want to pursue a career where my work could make a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Mercia continues to be a strong advocate for access to quality eye care services in Nampula. Her goal is to make sure no one has to go needlessly blind, and that eye health is a priority.
“I love the fact that my work helps to provide eye care for everyone: women, people with disabilities and other marginalised group. All of this contributes to the fight against poverty, and a brighter future for everyone.”
“All of our work, everything we do, is worth it when we see people smile!”
You can change lives for the better
More stories from Focus
Halving blindness in the remote Sundarbans
In this rural mangrove region of eastern India, one in 50 people used to be blind. But a Sightsavers project has transformed eye health in the area, changing thousands of lives.
Education for all in Sierra Leone
Abdul is one of many children who has benefited from the Education for All project that aims to give all children with disabilities access to a better quality education.
