Noor gives hope to blind Africans

Noor Dubai doctors have helped restore sight to hundreds of people in Burkina Faso recently who were suffering from cataract, the main cause of blindness. More than 2,000 patients were examined for visual impairment at the Noor Dubai camp. "Burkina Faso lacks the financial support required to properly treat blindness and other diseases," said Qadi Saeed Al Murooshid, chairman of the Foundation and Director General of the Dubai Health Authority. "Although charitable organisations have been providing active interventions into the villages to treat cataract, trachoma and river blindness, blindness, prevention of blindness remains a major challenge," he said. The surgeons saved the sight of more than 300 patients, who were treated for cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. Dr. Manal Taryam CEO of Noor Dubai Foundation, said the surgeries were conducted on patients aged from 10 to 97 years. About a 1,000 reading glasses were also distributed. Three ophthalmologists will return to Burkina Faso to examine the postoperative cases later in August. According to the Ministry of Health in Burkina Faso there are 200,000 blind people and only 20 registered eye specialists. About 65 per cent of all blind people in Burkina Faso lost their sight as a result of cataracts. A ministry official said that over the past 30 years, the government has conducted a successful campaign to eradicate river blindness or onchocerciasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that are transmitted by small black flies which live near open water. While cases still persist, particularly where people depend on rivers and streams for their drinking water, it is no longer considered to be a major public health concern. Today, it is cataract which causes the high rates of blindness and visual impairment in Burkina Faso, partly due to the metabolic effect of vitamin deficiency. To date, Noor Dubai has restored the vision of more than 5.8 million people in various countries from Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, Chad, to Niger to Palestine, Iraq and Jordan.