In tropical countries, cataracts are formed 10-15 years earlier (than above chart), due to higher exposure to UV rays, especially for those whose occupations are outdoor, e.g. farmers, fishermen, plantation workers.
Here at A New Vision, our mission is to make eye care accessible in the communities we serve, regardless of their ability to pay.
From humble beginnings we came – just 4 of us pooling funds raised by ourselves, family and friends to fund our first ever free cataract clinic in Indonesia. After witnessing the awe inspiring event of restoring vision to 695 people (some had lived with blindness for 30 years), and realising the massive impact so little money could have, we were driven to continue our work.
The spark that started that fire in December 2010 has now grown and we continue to strive to eliminate cataract induced, curable blindness, throughout the world. Our primary focus is on Indonesia, which has the world’s second highest percentage of cataract blindness, Ethiopia being the highest.
Since 2010, we have funded and coordinated free clinics where cataract surgery is provided en masse to targeted high risk geographical regions. These clinics, predominantly in Indonesia, have been run on a regular basis, restoring sight to thousands of people annually. Up to May, 2016, we have restored 13,360 sights. But when millions continue to live with blindness, we strive to take bigger and bolder steps.
Our goal now is to replicate a Community Eye Hospital model similar to that developed by Nepal’s Dr. Sanduk Ruit. This model has proven highly successful in reducing the rate of blindness in Nepal, through targeting high need communities.
Dr. Ruit’s Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is a beacon of excellence in Nepal, a place where superior eye care can be afforded by the poor, an eye hospital of choice for the financially able and the place where the poorest of the poor know they will be treated equally, at no – or little – cost.
