Overview:
Identify children with refractive error or avoidable blindness conditions through eye screening camps and provide 3,250 spectacles to the children of Dhaka city and Jamalpur District. The project was delivered at the Dhaka National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) and the Jamalpur District Hospital during 2012.
Screening and distributing spectacles:
The Fred Hollows Foundation Bangladesh organised screening camps at schools in Kafrul, Shere Bangla Nagar and Adabar. The visiting medical team consisted of an ophthalmologist, ophthalmic assistant and project manager.
They screened the eyes of 7,237 children from schools in these slum areas. Schools generously provided space for the screenings and some students volunteered to assist with logistical support. 1,750 out of 7,237 children were identified as having a refractive error. Each student with refractive error was given spectacles.
A further 6,200 children from a variety of NGO schools in these slum districts were screened by the medical team. 1,500 were identified with refractive error and once appropriate lens measurements were taken, spectacles were provided for all 1,500 children.
Photo: a Bangladeshi girl with her new glasses.
Training of Trainers workshops on Primary Eye Care :
A total of 13 Upzilla Health & Family Planning Officers plus one Medical Officer participated in a training program to upskill local eye health workers. The health worker’s role was to promote good eye health to the children and teach them to understand the importance taking care of their eyes.
An orientation on Primary Eye Care was held in Agargaon primary school, Dhaka, a disadvantaged school in the slum district. Four school teachers were trained as primary eye care workers and they subsequently provided Primary Eye Care training to 450 students.
Photo: A Teacher and Fred Hollows Foundation staff explaining eye health to a classroom of kids, Bangaldesh
Background on Eye health in Bangladesh
There are approximately 75 million children (0-18 yrs) in Bangladesh. Refractive error is the major cause of childhood visual impairment in Bangladesh. It is a serious barrier for children’s development and directly results in a decrease in attendance at school.
Early detection and treatment of refractive error through glasses, contact lenses or surgery is important to ensure a child’s normal development and permit enhanced performance of children.
Traditionally, the greatest majority of national eye care activities in Bangladesh are focused on the elderly. As a result, the vision testing, refraction and eye care services available for children in Bangladesh come a poor second. This leaves millions of children at risk of developing eye disease, of not having eye conditions detected, therefore not being treated and potentially suffering permanent loss of sight.
Case Study: Tania’s Story
Photo: Tania with her friends
Tania is the daughter of a poor farmer in Kushtia. At age 5, Tania developed a cataract in her right eye and by the age of 10, had bilateral cataracts. Because of her condition she could no longer attend school.
Tania’s family’s lack of financial resources deprived her of treatment and thus she gradually excluded herself from society.
After learning of Tania’s condition, The Fred Hollows Foundation brought Tania and her father to Kushtia district hospital for treatment. Though her family was reluctant to bring Tania to Dhaka for surgery The Foundation persisted and convinced them of the importance of treatment.
Tania can now see clearly. Tania’s confidence has been restored along with her vision. She has started to attend school and enjoy a normal, happy life with her friends again.
The future of this project
The Fred Hollows Foundation works in an ongoing partnership with the National Eye Care Program (NECP) and the National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) along with district and sub-district government health services in Bangladesh. All partners in Bangladesh are working to end avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
This project cost will cover:
- Deliver sight-restoring surgery for approx 400 children and provide approximately 3,000 pairs of spectacles to children in Dhaka
- Train 1 ophthalmologist and 1 mid-level health care worker on basic childhood blindness to support child eye care services at Jamalpur District Hospital
- Train 875 community leaders in 3 urban slum communities of Dhaka City and in Jamalpur District to promote child eye health within their communities
- Provide basic supplies (torches, eye charts, etc) to health workers to support the delivery of primary child eye care at community level
Project objective:
- To reduce the prevalence of avoidable blindness in children in Bangladesh, through sight-restoring surgery and provision of spectacles
- To increase the skills and knowledge of health workers from NIO, Dhaka slum areas and Jamalpur District in the prevention of childhood blindness.
- To improve the infrastructure of the NIO and Jamalpur District Hospital to deliver specific paediatric eye health services.
- To increase awareness of affordable child eye care services at the NIO and Jamalpur District Hospital, especially among vulnerable groups of children.
Project outcomes:
- Comprehensive tertiary paediatric services being provided by NIO.
- Secondary level child eye care services being provided by Jamalpur Distric Hospital
- Three urban slums are accessing primary eye care services and are aware of and accessing the quality childhood eye care services provided at Paediatric unit, NIO
- Referral pathways between community services to secondary and tertiary services are functioning.
Background & Project Partners:
The Fred Hollows Foundation has worked to strengthen government eye health services in Bangladesh since 2006.
In 2010 alone, The Foundation performed 3,087 cataract operations and trained 2 ophthalmologists and 19 eye health workers.
The Foundation works partnership with the National Eye Care Program and the National Institute of Ophthalmology along with district and sub-district government health service providers.
The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Bangladesh Childhood Blindness Prevention Project will contribute to the elimination of avoidable blindness in Bangladesh by the year 2020.