A needless, senseless shadowy world - Cataracts sadly unnecessary yet so debilitating
Please google +1, FB like and share help make this a thing of the past.
I
would like to devote some of my free time to bringing a greater
awareness as to a senseless handicap that is inflicting the children of
the developing world, many of which are right here in Indonesia.
There are over 20M people who suffer from cataracts causing blindness
/visual impairment and for just $20 many can have their sight restored.
As
the world emerges from the catastrophic recession, my hope is that we
are able to bring humanity from the ashes of greed. If we can do this;
then a great place to start would be to restore the eyesight of so many
children and adults alike that suffer needlessly, children who are in
the main from all parts of the developing world.
I have lifted these two articles which explain this tragedy in more detail.
I am using my incredible vast audience who regularly visit my Bali Villas blogs
in the hope that this article can be FB liked and shared in order to
bring greater awareness to this miserable, senseless handicap.
Article 1:
Priority eye diseases
Cataract
Definition
Cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye which prevents
clear vision. Although most cases of cataract are related to the aging
process, occasionally children can be born with the condition, or a
cataract may develop after eye injuries, inflammation, and some other
eye diseases.
Magnitude
According to the latest assessment, cataract is responsible
for 51% of world blindness, which represents about 20 million people
(2010). Although cataracts can be surgically removed, in many countries
barriers exist that prevent patients to access surgery. Cataract remains
the leading cause of blindness. As people in the world live longer, the
number of people with cataract is anticipated to grow. Cataract is also
an important cause of low vision in both developed and developing
countries.
Prevention and treatment
Reduction of cigarette smoking, ultraviolet light exposure may
prevent or delay the development of cataract. Diabetes mellitus and
high body mass index are identified as additional risk factors.
The
treatment of cataract is surgical, very successful in restoring sight.
The opaque lens is removed and replaced by an artificial intraocular
lens. In many remote parts of the developing world, people remain blind
from cataract, due to a lack of access to eye care.
Article 2:
While,
many causes of illness require long-term treatment (medication,
monitoring, hospitalization), cataract does not. Cataract surgery is a
one-time, low-cost procedure yielding dramatic results.
Protocol for Cataract Surgery Optimized for Use in Developing
Countries, as designed by the Himalayan Cataract Project and the
Tilganga Eye Centre
To allow widespread delivery of cataract surgery in developing
countries, innovations that continue to decrease cost and complexity
while preserving the highest level of safety and visual outcomes are
urgently needed. HCP is dedicated to creating and implementing solutions
to the barriers that impede delivery of cataract care in underserved
parts of the trans-Himalayan region. For example, low-cost, portable,
and robust operating microscopes and YAG lasers have been developed at
TEC.
Source: "Fighting Global Blindness"
The
HCP is committed to training surgeons and support staff in the
developing world in the highest quality surgical techniques that are
sustainable in their countries or context. To accomplish this, we
continue to be a leader in the innovation of cataract removal
techniques, including improving patient access and teaching advanced
technology (such as phacoemulsification), facilitating access to quality
low cost consumables, and developing increasingly efficient models of
surgical delivery.
Recounted by Dr. Geoff Tabin:
“For the next three days, 12 hours a day, Dr. Ruit and I perform
surgery side by side in a makeshift operating room without any high-tech
equipment besides our microscope. When the generator fails, we continue
using the microscope to work on eyes illuminated by flashlights, which
our dedicated assistants hold.
Technicians, whom Dr. Ruit and I trained, inject local anesthetic to
numb the patients' eyes and prepare them for surgery. When an operation
is finished, the patient is rolled off one side of the table and the
next patient is rolled on. The new patient's face is painted with
antiseptic and surgery continues. The turnover time between patients is
less than one minute. Dr. Ruit has no trouble sustaining a rate of seven
perfect surgeries per hour for a 12-hour operating day.
For a cost of about $20, these patients get approximately the same surgery that was state of the art in America 10 years ago.”
Please
share this article and help in some way, I'm not asking for donations
only to get this issue out in the open so that it can be dealt with.
Many Thanks from the leading villas of Bali - we hope to do our bit.
The living areas are open planned an exposed to the gardens but can also be enclosed and air-conditioned should you need respite from the wonderful Bali climate. The living area features a large sofa, a 46 inch flat screen TV with international cable TV channels and DVD player.
