Successful High-Volume Cataract Outreach Events in Aksum and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Outreach events at Quiha Zonal Hospital and Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital result in 2,344 sight-restoring surgeries
HCP is partnered with institutions across Ethiopia and with the Federal Ministry of Health to provide high-quality, low-cost cataract surgery to patients who otherwise would have no access to eye care services. We have worked to expand partnerships and increase outreach in a continued effort to address the backlog of cataract blindness in Ethiopia, estimated at 600,000.
Our efforts include high-volume cataract outreach events including two that took place this month - both events were led by HCP Co-Founder, Dr. Geoff Tabin and resulted in a total of 2,344 sight-restoring surgeries in less than two weeks.
The first outreach event in this series was in Aksum, Ethiopia, where an amazing team of doctors, nurses, ophthalmic technicians and outreach coordinators from Quiha Zonal Hospital performed 907 sight-restoring surgeries, December 2-8. The second outreach was held December 10-16 at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital (FHRH), and the talented eye care team there performed 1,437 sight-restoring surgeries, with the help of HCP Affiliated Ophthalmologist, Jason Dimmig. In addition to assisting at the outreach, Dr. Dimmig also led an in-country glaucoma workshop with Dr. Hiwot Degineh at FHRH before the outreach event.
An eruption of joyful dance when this woman's patches are removed and sight-restored!
