Basic eye care is a significant problem in many parts of Africa; in fact, sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest rates of visual impairment and blindness in the world. Poverty, disease and lack of access to eye care all contribute to unnecessary blindness.

Luckily, in many developing countries (including the four African countries where Operation Eyesight works), it is proving remarkably cost-effective to provide frontline workers with basic training in eye health and disease prevention.

Public health care workers, schoolteachers, midwives and even traditional healers (many of them local to the districts they serve) are being trained to identify eye problems when interacting with local communities. They then can provide referrals to medical care. This type of community development program is highly effective in identifying health risks.
When I was in Kenya last year, I met some community health workers who are making a significant impact on eye health in their districts.

Janice Cherono is a public health officer, hired through Kenya’s Ministry of Health, who works at Naroosura Eye Clinic, a satellite clinic of Narok District Hospital. Janice supervises 40 community health workers and 25 active volunteers, teaching them to help individuals and communities become aware of all aspects of health, including sanitation, face and hand washing, trachoma prevention and the importance of pit latrines.

The frontline workers report to Janice any health concerns they come across, including trachoma, diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition. They are equipped to treat minor ailments, and frequently refer severe cases to clinics or hospitals.

“We have face-to-face meetings when we go on outreach trips, and we visit schools to inform children, so they can tell their parents,” Janice told me. “Many people are willing to listen but some are resistant to change. We try to reach the community members who are role models for their community. They are opinion leaders. There is strength in community health workers, but we need assistance to train more.”

Return next week to read Part 2 and learn why one community health worker chooses to walk great distances to help make his community healthier. In the meantime, learn more about community health workers in our Indian programs, too!

The post Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

As you may know, the area affected is called the Horn of Africa, which includes the countries of Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Of these, Operation Eyesight works in Kenya where our partners – Kitale, Narok and Moi hospitals – deal with patients who must be fed before they can be operated upon. They are too weak otherwise.

These are not refugees from bordering countries, but Kenyans struggling to see and to survive. This has put an enormous additional strain on these hospitals – they asked for help and we, in turn, asked for your help.

Because Operation Eyesight is not a disaster relief organization, this appeal was an unusual one. But that hasn’t stopped our donors from responding enthusiastically.

Our goal is $60,000 to buy basic food staples – maize, beans, corn flower – as well as drugs and supplies to help people coming to the hospitals who are weakened by famine. These will be distributed with the help of local people and groups.

The first transfer of funds between Canada and Kenya has just taken place, and our friends at Kitale, Narok and Moi hospitals are thrilled to be able say, “Food is on the way!” Remember that the people who will benefit from the food and medical care are only now feeling the full effect of the famine, so these relief efforts will continue for some time.

Thank you for helping the people of Kenya, and don’t hesitate to respond to this appeal today, if you haven’t already done so. Thanks again for your generosity!

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Our hospital partners in Kenya are experiencing the devastating effects of the worst drought in 60 years. Crops have failed. Livestock are dying. Food prices are skyrocketing. Water sources are drying up. Dr. Hillary Rono of the Kitale District Hospital reports that the number of patients seeking eye care has dropped by up to 35 percent from the last year’s number. People are too weak to make the journey or simply focused on surviving. Patients arriving for appointments are so severely malnourished that they must be fed before receiving treatment. When we asked our partners what they need most, they were very clear: help us feed our communities.

I want to reiterate: disaster relief is not Operation Eyesight’s mission or what we normally do. However, while we are fully committed to sustainable development, we couldn’t stand by and do nothing. We launched a fundraising appeal last Wednesday with a goal of raising $60,000 for our three Kenyan hospital partners: Kitale District Hospital, Narok District Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

We are incredibly grateful for the positive feedback and donations that came in as soon as we sent out the online appeal through our e-newsletter and social media platforms. However, we still need your help to achieve our goal.

The direct mail version of our Kenya drought appeal was mailed this week. You can also donate online or by calling toll-free 1-800-585-8265. Your support today will help us raise the money urgently needed to provide food for the starving people our hospital partners reach in Kenya.

A disaster of this scale requires comprehensive solutions from local and international communities. When INGOs, not just disaster relief organizations, work together, we can save the lives of the most vulnerable in our world. Please give today. Thank you.

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