Our partners in Madagascar celebrated World Sight Day by screening 580 patients and restoring sight to 40 people. What a fitting way to celebrate the day!
The power supply in Madagascar has been intermittent in the last few weeks so we only just received these photos from the World Sight Day celebrations held by our partners in Tamatave on the east coast.
Madagascar is considered one of the world’s poorest countries: 145th out of 182 countries according to the United Nations. The annual expenditure on health care per person is less than $12. Most of Madagascar’s population lives in rural areas and 45% are under the age of 16.
It is estimated that approximately 190,000 Malagasy are blind; of those at least 5000 are children. While the numbers of blind children are relatively low the number of years they will live in blindness is astronomical – over 250,000 years.
Seva Canada is currently working in three regions: Vakinankaratra in the central highlands, Atsinanana in the east and Sava in the northeast as well as with the University Hospital in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo.
In the past year Seva donors helped support the screening and treatment for eye conditions of just over 12,500 people in Madagascar and funded 1740 cataract surgeries. In addition, 109 health care workers were trained to recognize eye diseases and treat or refer patients.
Madagascar is considered one of the world’s poorest countries: 145th out of 182 countries according to the United Nations. The annual expenditure on health care per person is less than $12. Most of Madagascar’s population lives in rural areas and 45% are under the age of 16.
It is estimated that approximately 190,000 Malagasy are blind; of those at least 5000 are children. While the numbers of blind children are relatively low the number of years they will live in blindness is astronomical – over 250,000 years.
Seva Canada is currently working in three regions: Vakinankaratra in the central highlands, Atsinanana in the east and Sava in the northeast as well as with the University Hospital in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo.
In the past year Seva donors helped support the screening and treatment for eye conditions of just over 12,500 people in Madagascar and funded 1740 cataract surgeries. In addition, 109 health care workers were trained to recognize eye diseases and treat or refer patients.
