Nearly 10,000 people have already benefited from eye care
In September 2010, IRIS Mundial implemented the Program for the Prevention and Fight against Blindness in Labrousse, Haiti. Three years later, we already note with pride that the program results are excellent and its objectives have been achieved. More and more people can now experience better vision in this region where no eye care existed before.
With the population of the area being dispersed over a large mountainous region, the program was ambitious to say the least. Nurses and assistants must travel by motorbike or quad through the territory to access the population in order to provide awareness sessions and to perform the visual screenings. People have to walk long hours to reach the health center.
Thanks to the hard work of the team, 5960 children were seen for visual screening in schools and 3637 adults have benefited from screenings offered in one of the various locations in the area. Several were able to purchase prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses or eye medication for a nominal fee. Those with vision problems or eye health conditions were referred to the Notre-Dame de Labrousse Health Center, where an examination room has been set up. To date, 785 people have benefited from an ophthalmologic consultation. Seventy-five people received surgical care (cataracts, pterygium, etc.) and were able to regain functional vision.