Blindness

Blindness and Visual Impairment in Developing Nations
Eye conditions treatable in their early stages in developed nations are frequently left untreated in the poorest parts of the world and often lead to impairment or blindness. The majority of blindness cases are curable and could be avoided by prevention and early treatment. Being blind in developing countries often means being considered an outcast. In fact, most blind children do not survive past the age of five.

Cataract
Outside developed countries, cataracts remain the leading cause of avoidable visual impairment affecting 50% in Sub-Saharan Africa. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens which impedes the passage of light. Although most cases of cataract are related to the ageing process, occasionally children can be born with the condition, or cataracts can develop after eye injuries, inflammation, or as a result of ocular diseases. Cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective treatments that can be offered in developing countries.

Statistics (source: WHO)

• 37 million people are blind worldwide. Most of the world’s blind – some 90% – live in poor nations where eye care is inaccessible.
• 50% of blindness cases in developing nations are preventable and 80% of those affected can have their vision restored through proper treatment.
• The number of surgeons experienced in ophthalmic surgery within developing nations is decreasing.

Transformational health care through Eye Care Programmes
Mercy Ships aims to prevent the effects of blindness by providing specialised medical treatment. Mercy Ships uses hospital ships backed by land-based programmes to deliver free specialised health care to the world’s forgotten poor. Mercy Ships ophthalmic surgeons perform free, vital eye operations to restore patients’ sight and improve their quality of life.

Ophthalmic Surgery
Cataracts are the most common cause of avoidable blindness worldwide. However, most incidents of cataract blindness are curable and sight can be restored with a low-cost, 20-minute eye operation. Mercy Ships cataract operations are performed using the latest methods and technology. Mercy Ships eye surgeons perform procedures to correct pterygium (growths on the cornea of the eye), strabismus (the medical term for crossed eyes) and eyelid deformities, and replacing painful or disfiguring blind eyes with prostheses.

Training and Educational Initiatives
Volunteer ophthalmologists are trained in the skills needed to meet the unique eye-care challenges of developing nations. In addition, by training local eye-care providers, Mercy Ships will empower communities to better manage their own needs.