The SAFE way to end trachoma

In Kenya and Zambia, Operation Eyesight is implementing the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy to treat and ultimately eliminate the blinding eye disease, trachoma. SAFE includes Surgery to treat trichiasis (the painful late stage of the disease), Antibiotics to eliminate infection, Face washing and hygiene education, and Environmental change including wells and latrines. As the… Continue reading The SAFE way to end trachoma

Teacher learns how to help students get an A+ in eye health

Janeffer Chepchumba has been teaching at Uhuru Primary School in Nakuru County, Kenya for seven years. In 2013, she added a new topic to her students’ curriculum: eye health. Last fall, the Seeing is Believing Child Eye Health Project, one of our partnerships with Standard Chartered Bank, began training teachers of sighted children in Nakuru… Continue reading Teacher learns how to help students get an A+ in eye health

Smart phone app developed to screen for vision problems

Tackling childhood blindness and visual impairment in low-income countries presents considerable challenges. Infrastructure and human resources are seriously lacking, and systems for accurately testing children for eye conditions and improving follow-up rates are often non-existent or inadequate. If there was a way to improve the way that children’s eyesight is screened and treated across low-income… Continue reading Smart phone app developed to screen for vision problems

Fresh water saves lives and prevents blindness (Part 2 of 2)

Seventy-year old Ann Adoyole lives in a tiny village in one of Kenya’s dustiest, most arid regions: West Pokot County. Along with other women and girls in her community, she has spent most of her life searching for and fetching water for her family. Then suddenly, in late 2013, everything changed…! What a difference Ann and… Continue reading Fresh water saves lives and prevents blindness (Part 2 of 2)