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With treatments and options now becoming more efficient for sufferers of eye diseases, such as trachoma, that affect many of the under privileged in the developing world, a group of ophthalmologists from Salt Lake City have visited Sudan in an attempt to bring sight back to people afflicted by eye conditions that can be treated quite normally in the western world, but with difficulty for those who live in such areas and countries where treatment is not quite so easy to come by.
It is estimated that in this part of the world, as much as 10% of the population is completely blind, many through infections and illnesses, numerous through war and conflict. A range of conditions present in the area cause such visibility issues with unsanitary living conditions being of prime concern. Nutrition, UV rays and a distinct lack of medical care, treatment options and specialists cover many of the other causes. The lack of medical specialists and drugs go hand in hand with the fact that the Sudan is one of the poorest places on the planet in a financial sense. The terrible aspect for so many of the blind afflicted is that in many other countries around the world, their conditions are either easily treatable or preventable, such luxuries are not afforded here however.
The work carried out by the ophthalmologists who courageously visited the country to try and help those suffering from a lack of sight treated over 200 people, performing a range of operations and surgeries including cataract removal and eyelid repair for suffers of trachoma. The doctors from the Moran Eye Center managed to treat effectively around 3 out of every 4 people that they met. Although many of the treatments were routine for the doctors, the conditions were far from that with the nurses and ophthalmologsts having to battle the elements, while also contending with natures creatures and animals that offered slightly different complications than normally dealt with, while human conflict raged nearby, in some cases no more than 40 miles away.