THE PROBLEM
In terms of public health, blindness is defined as being unable to see the big “E” on the eye chart in either eye and most blind persons are unable to detect more than a shadow when a hand passes in front of their face. A person is functionally blind, according to the World Health Organization, when he or she is unable to perform the basic tasks of daily living.
Blindness is particularly devastating in the developing world, where it has a profound impact on the quality of life for the blind person and his or her community. Blindness takes an able-bodied person out of the workforce, or a child out of school to lead a parent around by a stick.
Avoidable blindness is defined as blindness which could be either treated or prevented by known, cost-effective means.
Eye diseases like cataract, trachoma and diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness when, in fact they’re either treatable or preventable.
The reason people live with blindness is that they can’t access quality eye health care. In many cases, a straightforward 20-minute operation can restore sight.
A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally transparent lens of the eye. A cataract occurs when clumping of cells or protein causes a cloudy or opaque area in the transparent lens which, as it thickens, obstructs entering light.
As the opacity thickens, it prevents light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina, the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Early changes or opacities in the lens may not disturb vision; however, as the lens continues to change, several specific symptoms including blurred vision; sensitivity to light and glare; increased nearsightedness; or distorted images in either eye, may develop.
The lens is located behind the iris, the coloured portion of the eye, and the pupil, the dark center of the eye. Tiny ligaments, called zonules, support the lens capsule within the eye.
The lens has three parts, the capsule, the nucleus, and the cortex. The outer membrane, or capsule, surrounds the cortex which in turn surrounds the center or nucleus of the lens. If you imagine the lens as a piece of fruit, the capsule is the skin, the cortex is the fleshy fruit, and the nucleus is the pit.
Cataract surgeries are performed by making tiny incisions on the eye through which the cataract is removed and a new lens is inserted. The new lens that is implanted is an intraocular lens – a highly specialized clear plastic substitute.
DONATIONS
Your donation is used to support our sight-saving work, which includes vision screenings, eye operations and treatments, training surgeons and eye health workers and other sustainable eye health initiatives.
Any individual or voluntary social service organization – such as Lions, Rotary, religious groups, trusts, or private/ public sector organizations, industries, banks, hospitals, community-based NGOs, recreation and welfare clubs, farmers associations, village presidents – interested in the community welfare may sponsor an eye camp in terms of partnering with service providers.
Please email or call +91-9717550027 to speak to our Dwarka-based support services.
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