The need for improved eye care in Bangladesh is acute. The country has an estimated 50,000 blind children, with around 20,000 being as a result of avoidable causes. In addition, around 1.3 million Bangladeshi children aged between 5 and 15 have refractive error and around 150,000 have low vision – of which almost half of cases are treatable.
Flying Eye Hospital returns from Bangladesh - roll on 2018!
The Flying Eye Hospital has just returned from its final journey of the year – a two-week programme in Chittagong, Bangladesh. We were honoured that HRH The Countess of Wessex joined us to celebrate the amazing work of the dedicated Orbis teams in Dhaka and Chittagong.
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited children at local eye centres
During their stay in Bangladesh, the Flying Eye Hospital team gave intensive training in the most advanced treatment methods, not just to surgical teams and ophthalmologists but also to nurses, anaesthetists, biomedical engineers and technicians. The sessions were broadcast live using Cybersight system, so eye care specialists across the globe could benefit from this knowledge.
There are around 50,000 blind children in Bangladesh
Ultimately, a lot more people will have their sight saved as a result of this trip. Such great news!
It really has been an incredible year for Orbis and the people we help. Operation Sight is at its half-way point now, and there is a lot more work that will need to be done in 2018. You can be sure that we will be providing regular updates on this work, as well as a more complete account of the Flying Eye Hospital’s work in Bangladesh at the start of the year.
Our amazing volunteer pilots touch down in Bangladesh in November
In the meantime, I’d just like to wish you a very Happy Christmas from Orbis. Thanks to your kindness, we’ve been able to give the gift of sight to so many people this year. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude. We couldn’t do it – any of it – without our lovely supporters!
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