Routes supports appeal to save the sight of thousands of children in Zambia

Blindness prevention charity, Orbis - well known for its Flying Eye Hospital - has launched an appeal to restore sight to thousands of Zambian children suffering from avoidable blindness. ‘Vision for Zambia’ will run from November 4, 2015 to February 3, 2016 and the UK government will be doubling all public donations as part of their UK Aid Match scheme, enabling Orbis to reach twice as many children.

Here in the UK, cataract in babies and children are thankfully rare, only affecting three out of every 10,000 children. In Zambia, however, childhood cataract is far more common and children are four times more likely to suffer from blindness than those living in developed countries. As a result, every day thousands are missing out on opportunities for education, learning and play.

Unless it’s caught in time, this treatable disease can cause irreversible damage and a life of unnecessary blindness. What’s even more shocking is that in developing countries, 60 per cent of children die within a year of going blind. With so many children in need of help, Orbis is looking to raise £500,000 – doubled to one £1 million. The money will enable to Orbis to expand its work in the country and reach more children, particularly in rural, isolated communities.

Orbis has been working in Zambia since 2011 to increase services and access to quality eye care. In 2012, the charity’s famous Flying Eye Hospital, a unique blend of aviation, medical and educational ingenuity, housed within one of the only Douglas DC-10 aircraft still in operation, conducted a training programme for local eye health teams in the Ndola area of the country.

The jet features an operating theatre, lecture theatre, and pre and post-op spaces. The hospital is also accredited; meaning the standard of care provided is equal to some of the best facilities globally. The Flying Eye Hospital enables Orbis volunteers - world class eye specialists - to work with local eye care teams, sharing their skills within a controlled environment. These learnings are then further shared by the trainees within their local hospitals, ensuring maximum impact - Orbis calls this the ‘ripple effect’.

So far, Orbis has established the only paediatric eye care centre in Zambia, ‘Kitwe Eye Annex’, and trained the country’s only paediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Mboni.

The money raised through Vision for Zambia will enable Orbis to develop its work even further. This will include engaging with rural communities and educating people about the signs of eye disease. Many parents in rural Zambia are either unaware of their children’s eye condition or understandably nervous about the prospect of their child undergoing surgery. Orbis aims to encourage discussion within the community and help reduce the fear and stigma of seeking help for their children.

As part of this work, the charity will be conducting community film screenings to teach people about eye health and to also provide the opportunity to have their eyes tested. Traditional Healers will also be invited to take part as they often play a significant role in their community’s healthcare.

Alongside this activity, Orbis is also looking to train 750 healthcare workers, who will be able to screen children for eye conditions and administer basic treatments. Patients suffering from more complicated eye conditions will then be referred, when appropriate, to Dr Mboni at the Kitwe Eye Annex.

To make a difference to a child’s life visit: www.visionforzambia.org, where people can sign up to find out more about the appeal. For every sign-up, a generous Orbis supporter has pledged £1 which will be doubled to £2 by the UK government. Sign up and help save a child’s sight today.