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World Sight Day 2011
On the eve of celebrating the World Sight Day, marked on 13 October 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Member States to provide support for the prevention of blindness, .identifying the eye health and prevention of blindness as a priority area
According to the latest WHO estimates that the number of people with visual impairment (presenting vision) worldwide is 285 million, around 37 million people in the Eastern Mediterranean Region suffer from visual impairment due to eye disease or uncorrected refractive errors. Of these, 5.3 million people are blind with around 90% living in low-income countries.
World Sight Day (WSD) is an international day of awareness-raising, held annually to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. WHO marks this event in collaboration with the VISION2020-the right to sight, a global initiative launched in 2000 to eliminate the causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
During the past 11 years, significant improvements have been made in advocacy, and in disease control for cataract and trachoma. However, there is a great deal left to do. Moreover, there are only nine more years remaining to eliminate the causes of avoidable blindness if we are to achieve the goal of the global initiative Vision 2020 – the Right to Sight.
The major causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy. In countries like Egypt, these diseases demonstrate a serious public health problem resulting in the prevalence of avoidable blindness although Egypt has the necessary infrastructure and human resources for eye care
It is estimated that over 900 000 people are blind. The main cause of blindness is cataract, which can be easily operated upon in outpatient eye clinics.
This situation is identical in many countries where avoidable blindness and visual impairment are prevailing, although affordable interventions are available and can save millions of people from blindness and visual impairments. This requires urgent intervention and political will to eliminate the causes of avoidable blindness especially among children, young people and people aged over 50 years.
In the context of celebrating WSD in EMRO, the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in collaboration with National health authorities in Egypt and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), holds an event In Menoufia University, A delta governorate, in recognition of the great initiative of establishing the Lions Ashmoon Eye Centre, which aims at reducing avoidable blindness in the targeted rural poor population. It is a role example of collaboration between both public and private sectors along with Nongovernmental organizations; the Menoufia Governorate has donated the land in Ashmoon for establishing this Centre while the lions clubs funded the whole project and WHO Regional Office provided technical support to Lions in establishing the Lions Ashmoon Eye Centre.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is a WHO partner and we are working together to support eye care activities and the childhood blindness project in Alexandria Eye hospital.
In order to support free cataract surgeries for low-income populations, we are pleased to announce that the Regional Office will provide 500 cataract kits to the Lions Eye Hospital in Ashmoon.
The Regional Office also in collaboration with the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has developed the national plan for eye health and prevention of blindness. The main axes of this plan of action are forming a national committee for eye health and prevention of blindness under the leadership of the Ministry of Health. This committee should comprise representatives from universities, school health, NGOs, Ophthalmological Society, Lions, Rotary Clubs and WHO, approving, implementing and mobilizing resources for the national plan for eye health and prevention of blindness, establishing a functional unit for eye health care at MOH, integrating primary eye care and prevention of blindness and visual impairment within primary health care system; and strengthening public-private partnerships to improve eye care.
A new shipment of urgent medical supplies arrives in Tripoli
In a situation characterized by shortages in health and medical supplies and vital health equipment, a new shipment of equipment needed for renal dialysis arrived last Thursday in the Libyan capital Tripoli, followed by a shipment of vaccines. The shipments are taking place within the framework of a programme for medical supplies, valued at 100 million Euros, to help meet the urgent needs of the Libyan people. The stock of such supplies is nearly depleted as a result of the exceptional circumstances experienced in Libya since last February. These circumstances have prevented necessary medical equipment from reaching the Libyan people, which has led to the deterioration of services provided by the national health system.
The first shipment of supplies, consisting of antibiotics, medicines for treating noncommunicable diseases, bandages and venous fluids, reached the Libyan territory on 19 September, with the aim of alleviating the supply shortages faced by the health sector. The new shipment occured within the framework of initiatives by the joint working group of the Libyan Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, which is making concerted efforts to tackle the emergency situation caused by the shortage of medical supplies. The working group has also been able to resume the supply chain of curative and preventive materials following detailed planning for medium- and long-term needs, with a view to preventing the occurrence of such shortages of medical supplies in the future.
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, praised the role of the Libyan side, saying: “While the World Health Organization, represented by its Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, extends a helping hand to the Libyan people to help them surmount this emergency situation, it expresses its deep gratitude and appreciation to the Libyan health authorities for the commitment and cooperation they have shown in overcoming all obstacles and accelerating the pace of work to provide medical supplies and avoid the consequences of stock outages in vaccines and renal dialysis equipment.” The Regional Director also thanked the Governments of Egypt and Tunisia for facilitating the shipping procedures and the arrival of the supplies in Libyan territory.
The medical supplies required to meet the needs of the Libyan people are estimated at US$ 1 billion annually. According to well-informed experts, the new Libyan government has inherited an extremely critical health situation as regards shortage of medical supplies, medicines and vaccines and damage to health facilities as a result of the disturbances that have continued for many months.
The joint medical procurement group of the World Health Organization and the National Technical Committee of the Libyan Ministry of Health will pursue its work until all urgent medical needs have been met.
Deteriorating health situation in Misurata
After coming under siege and fire for 40 days, the city of Misurata, about 200 km east of Libya’s capital Tripoli, is facing a deteriorating health situation. This has put the lives of thousands of civilians at risk and as the fighting continues the humanitarian crisis is worsening the World Health Organization (WHO) warns today.
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, appeals for “days of tranquility” to allow WHO and partners to evacuate the injured and sick, and provide much needed medical and humanitarian assistance to the besieged people in Misurata and other parts of Libya. “WHO calls upon the international community and donor agencies to provide immediate support to the people of Misurata to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis. Medical personnel and equipment, medicine, surgical kits, ventilators, sterilization equipment and water purification units are among the priority needs”, Dr Gezairy added.
“The city’s main polyclinic has become inaccessible to both doctors and the injured. Smaller and unequipped clinics are facing an influx of injured and patients who are in dire need of medical assistance. Privately owned medical facilities fall short on capacity, space, equipment and personnel to cope with the unprecedented number of casualties and regular patients”, a local doctor said. “Routine vaccination programmes have been interrupted, as there is no stock of vaccines left in the city. Medicines for the treatment of communicable and chronic diseases are needed and the deployment of medical teams.”
The city’s water supply and sewage system have been interrupted and the roads to the nearby desalination station, as an alternative source for drinking-water, are under fire and not safe. Misurata is close to Tawrgha city, a malaria and leishmaniasis endemic zone. Lack of safe drinking-water and poor sanitation may lead to epidemics with serious public health consequences.
In addition to Misurata’s local residents, a large number of immigrants from Egypt, Chad, Niger, Bangladesh and other nationalities, are under siege in makeshift camps where access to basic human and medical necessities is very limited.
Despite the efforts exerted by WHO and partners in supporting relief efforts and providing medicines and medical supplies to those affected by the violence in Libya, there are still many areas in the west and the middle of the country, which are reported to be besieged and unfortunately out of reach of aid agencies. WHO warns of increasing health threats and reiterates its call for immediate action.
