The eyes are the windows to the world. When cataract clouds them, we do not just lose sight, we lose school, work, dignity and independence. To give a person back their sight is to give them back their place in the family, in the garden and in the community. There is no charity more precise than cataract surgery.
A five-day cataract camp and other eye diseases is underway at the Jinja Regional referral Hospital targeting more than 500 patients from Busoga and beyond to receive free surgery.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Alex Wasomoka the Assistant Commissioner Health Services in charge of Hospitals and Lower Health Facilities says estimates stand at approximately 400,000, with over 4.5 million Ugandans suffering from various forms of visual impairment or refractive errors.
He has welcomed the camp saying it will go along way in addressing eye disorders in the Busoga sub region where rates are alarmingly high.
He said the intervention by the partners will bolster routine eye-care services across the country’s health facilities.
The Commissioner says global statistics indicate that at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment, these, Dr Wasomoko says at least one billion have impairment tat could have been prevented or id yet to be addressed.
However, the 2024 National Population and Housing Census reported a more specific figure of 28,843 individuals identified as completely blind, alongside 329,489 people with low
Jinja Regional Referral Hospital Director Dr Alfred Yayi says the hospital has deployed a team of eye specialists who are already handling the patients.
On the purpose, Dr Yayi says blindness cuts productivity and blocks potential for individuals, families and the nation.
He says the camp aligns with the JRRH’s mission to provide specialized healthcare and its vision of a healthy, productive population.
The vision of the hospital is to be a regional center of excellence in providing specialized and general health services for improved well being of the people of Busoga sub region.
According to the official record, the mission is to increase access to all people in the region to quality general and specialized health services.
The mandate and core role. JRRH serves an estimated 4.6 million people across Jinja City plus 11 districts as the referral hub for eastern region. It provides general and specialized care, serves as an internship training center and coordinates health service delivery in east central region.
The camp was organized by Ophthalmology Society of Uganda (OSU), the umbrella body that unites eye specialists specifically ophthalmologists in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and JRRH.
The OSU immediate past president Dr Denis Erima says they work in close collaboration with the ministry of health in a number of ways including lobbying for support to be able to support eye patients in the country.
He explained that cataract which is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens which causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness if untreated. He says cataract remains the leading cause of blindness in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa, yet it is treatable with a 30-minute surgery.
Dr Erima noted with concern that most public health facilities lack the resources to perform cataract surgery which costs between 500,000 and 1 million depending on the severity, an amount many Ugandans cannot afford.
He commended partners including Noor Dubai Foundation and DP Foundation for stepping in to ensure more than 500 patients receive surgery free of charge.
The mission is to increase the numbers of eye health workers, improve their welfare and quality of eye care in Uganda through research and sub specialty.
Related bodies in Uganda’s eye health system include the National Association of Ophthalmic Clinical Officers (NA and Cataract Surgeons, refractionists and low vision therapists.
OCOs, optometrists, and ophthalmologists all work under the Ministry of Health’s National Eye Care Plan but OSU is the main society for medical doctors specialized in ophthalmology.
The TEU Docket:
Noor Dubai Foundation is a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based, non-governmental, non-profit organization focused on the prevention of blindness and visual impairment globally.
It was started as an initiative in 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Officially became a foundation in 2010.
The record reflects Noor Dubai Foundation’s mission: combat blindness and visual impairment worldwide through treatment, education and prevention.
What Is Cataract?
Dr Erima, an ophthalmologist at the cataract camp explained that a cataract is clouding of the eye’s natural lens. The lens, which is normally clear becomes opaque when proteins inside it break down and clump together. This blocks or scatters light before it reaches the retina, causing blurred vision, glare and eventual blindness if not treated.
Cataracts are primarily caused by aging. After 40, proteins in the lens begin to denature as part of normal wear. Other causes include eye injury, diabetes, prolonged use of corticosteroid medication, smoking, radiation or UV exposure, and poor nutrition.
Some babies are born with congenital cataracts linked to maternal infections or metabolic disorders.
Key WHO Facts:
1 in 2 people globally who need cataract surgery do not have access to it.2 out of 3 people in low-income countries including Uganda who need eyeglasses do not have them.
Most people with vision impairment and blindness are over 50. Prevalence of distance vision impairment in low-income regions is four times higher than in high-income regions.
Annual global productivity cost of vision impairment is about 411 billion USD.
