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Vision Treatment Training
What It Is
Following the example of Christ himself, Latter-day Saint Charities (Humanitarian Services) is committed to helping those who are visually impaired. Our response to the enormous problem of preventable/reversible blindness is to train local, qualified medical personnel to perform eye surgeries and provide equipment that is essential to the procedure.
Working with local, established medical facilities in developing nations, Latter-day Saint Charities organizes training seminars led by certified ophthalmologists who volunteer their time as trainers. Ultimately, those trained are able to serve hundreds or even thousands of patients over time. Each year we carry out training projects in about ten developing countries.
Why It Is a Priority
The World Health Organization estimates that 45 million people in the world are blind. This presents special problems for those in developing countries where few opportunities and support systems exist for people who cannot see. Often family members are the only source of help. In developing nations, employment for unsighted people is often out of the question.
Approximately two million new cases of blindness go untreated every year. Cataracts are the single most prevalent cause of blindness. About 20 million* people suffer blindness due to cataracts and could have their sight restored with a relatively simple surgery. However, medical personnel in many developing nations are not trained and/or do not have the equipment and supplies necessary to perform the surgery.
What It Does and How It Helps
Through the generosity of donors, we provide approximately $30,000 of eye surgery equipment with each training seminar, including slit lamps, microscopes, and lenses, to the host medical facilities so the newly trained personnel have the equipment to properly carry out the surgery.
