Beyond 2020 with the Andean Medical Mission
It has been estimated that one billion people globally live with visual impairment. Moreover, countries in the developing world are disproportionately affected, with four times more low vision than compared to countries with well-established systems of primary, secondary and tertiary eye care. Globally populations are expanding and therefore the incidence of blindness in lower-income countries is set to grow.
Yet as we know, much of blindness is completely avoidable and some such as cataract is reversable. With the right number of people, correct strategic approach, training and attitude, substantial inroads into reducing the global burden of blindness can be made.
Working in the remote villages in the Amazon, the team at the Andean Medical Mission have made inroads into eliminating avoidable blindness in this small corner of the globe, and have produced a video series to share what they have learned over 12 years of working in northern Bolivia.
This Andean Medical Mission series is called Beyond 2020, and focuses on the many aspects of creating services which will ultimately impact on eliminating avoidable blindness in countries with developing eye care services. The series will cover all the practical aspects of setting up clinics and theatres from scratch, covering topics such as screening, patient selection, surgical protocols, team logistics, dealing with infections and complications, follow up, legal permissions, complimenting existing services and more.
We launch this month and will feature content every two weeks or so in both Eye News and on social media. Please like and subscribe to the series to get each episode and join the conversation by commenting with your thoughts and views. We look forward to seeing you.
Click below to watch the first video in this series:
Dave Goldsmith, General Manager of the Andean Medical Mission, can be contacted by email at dave@andeanmedicalmission.co.uk
