Since its inception in January 2011, our program for the prevention and fight against blindness in the FODES-5 area (a very poor region of Haiti) has allowed nearly 8000 adults and children to obtain a visual screening test. No ophthalmologic services were ever available in this arid, almost inaccessible mountainous region. Many patients in need were able to obtain consultations, eye glasses as well as the right ocular medications for their condition. Some patients have had eye surgery and regained sight through this program, funded by IRIS Mundial.
We asked Mr. Alfred Etienne, FODES-5 Coordinator in Haiti, if he was satisfied with the program: “My satisfaction is contingent on the degree of satisfaction of the people of the region and in this sense, it is huge. Thanks to the benefits obtained through this program, I often find myself confronted with situations that make me weep with joy. In fact, many people who were once disabled have since recovered their eyesight and can now join the workforce in order to care for their families. I think it is enough to say that we picked the right battle!”
The success of the program is attributed to the team on site, which consists of two nurses and one assistant. Amidst the lush mountains, they must cope with hot and humid temperatures as well as the rainy season; all challenging factors rendering the working conditions very difficult. The role of the team is to educate and inform the public regarding prevention and available services. Vision screening sessions are offered to adults and children in many communities spread throughout the vast territory. Based out of the “Notre-Dame de Labrousse†Health Center, the team must travel long distances on muddy roads by either motorcycle or ATV, in order to reach people in every school and community. Through the program, patients can get prescription glasses, sunglasses or safety goggles, and eye drops for a nominal fee. Eye surgeries (such as cataracts or pterygium, for example) are offered by a Haitian ophthalmologist paid by the program.
A similar program will soon be implemented in another region of Northern Haiti.