Eye Screening Camps, 2018
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of vision impairment (WHO, 2018). A person’s experience of vision impairment varies depending upon various factors, including, the availability of prevention and treatment interventions, access to vision rehabilitation (including assistive products such as glasses or white canes), etc.
To combat this, UWM and our NGO partners conducted eye screening camps across Mumbai, with support from Star India Private Limited, under their initiative, "Prevention of Blindnessâ€. The camps aimed to tackle the increasing number of eye disorder cases among individuals, including children due to the increasing use of technology and smartphones and changing lifestyles.
3 eye camps were conducted in Sion, Bandra and Goregaon, with the help of NGO and hospital partners. 477 children were screened, out of whom 339 had normal vision, Spectacles were provided to 71 individuals; 57 were referred to a hospital and the rest required no further treatment. Overall, the camp received a positive response from all stakeholders, including NGOs, medical teams and participants. Many beneficiaries from each camp were found to have vision defects, with several being were unaware of the defects. Medical teams guided the beneficiaries by prescribing medicines or referring them to the hospitals. Experts shared a few best practices and exercises to keep the eyes healthy. Beneficiaries were overjoyed to receive the spectacles and their parents expressed gratitude for this initiative.
