Cataracts affect young and old alike

Health & research

Sep 18

Who: Right to Sight

What: Supporting the education of 54 new eye surgeons who can operate on cataracts in Kenya.

Funds from the Grieg Foundation have made it possible for Right to Sight to support the education of 54 new eye surgeons who can operate on cataracts in Kenya. Cataracts account for 40% of all unnecessary blindness, affect all age groups and are increasing due to a rapidly growing population. Every new cataract surgeon is important. Cataracts can only be treated with surgery, and there is a huge shortage of cataract surgeons in the country.

Right to Sight's model is simple. We find patients in poor rural areas through outreach activities. Those who need surgery get it free of charge in return for simultaneous teaching of an intern. Over 50,000 have been surveyed on outreach and 5,500 people have now regained their sight through this project. Meet two of them:

"I'd rather be blind”, said Mejumma

An important task for Right to Sight's outreach coordinator in Kenya, is to convince people that a cataract operation is not dangerous. Some simply don't dare. They have little experience with health services, and there are also many strange notions about what might happen to them if they allow themselves to be operated on.

This was the case with Mejumma. She had been blind for two years, and one of her grandchildren was taken out of school to follow her around and give her assistance with everything she might need in everyday life.

"I'd rather be blind," she said when she learned she could regain her sight through eye surgery. "But I want to go to school," replied her 10-year-old granddaughter Mary, "all my friends are having fun there and I can't join in."

After months of persuasion, she agreed to surgery at Kwale Eye Centre and regained her sight. The feedback from Mejumma came quickly. “It didn't even hurt”, she said, “And I can see”! Instead of being an annoyance to children and grandchildren, I can cook and clean. Now I feel like a useful person again."

"The best time of the day is when Mary comes home from school," Mejumma said. "She's so eager, telling me about everything she's learned and how much fun she's had."

“At this time last year, life was dark. Now it's bright"!

Outreach is a key part of Right to Sight's work. There we meet people who live in remote villages and do not have access to eye health services. It is in the rural districts that unnecessary blindness hits hardest.

"If I manage to persuade the women, it has a big recruitment effect," says our outreach coordinator Justine. "Then they come back with their whole family for examination."

The pearl maker who couldn´t see the pearls

Hussein Ruwa is a 32-year-old man from the Mishomoroni area of Mombasa who has experienced what it means to have his life completely changed in a short time. He worked making beads which he then sold. Eventually he had great difficulty seeing what he was doing. Still, he didn't understand what it could be, as it didn't hurt, and he didn't have any illnesses. Finally, he lost his sight completely.

One day, Ruwa was tipped off about the Kwale Eye Center by someone who had received treatment there, and who saw that Ruwa was struggling with his eyesight.

Ruwa got the contact information for the eye clinic, but he had no money for treatment as he had been out of work for several years, and he did not know anyone who could help him get to the clinic. When Ruwa told this to the person who had informed him about the eye clinic, the person called for help on his behalf.

Ruwa got in touch with one of Kwale Eye Centre's community-based workers, who arranged for him to attend an eye screening in the area at Tiwi Rural Health Centre. After this he was taken to the hospital where he received free cataract surgery. When he regained his sight, he was very happy and looked forward to being able to start working again.

Ruwa is grateful that Kwale Eye Center and Right to Sight have helped him regain his sight. When he later returned for a routine check-up, he had beaded various items with the names of those who treated him.

Ruwa's message is that people should not be afraid to seek help, because if fear had taken over, he would still be blind today.