Training and partnership development in South Sudan
After years of civil war and with only a small handful of eye care professionals serving a population of nearly 13 million people, most South Sudanese lack adequate access to eye care.
HCP is working with our partners to reduce avoidable blindness in South Sudan as well as develop partnerships that strengthen the country’s national eye care system. HCP volunteer ophthalmologist Dr. Lloyd Williams, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke, and photographer Chris Hildreth from Rooster Media, recently traveled to South Sudan to provide hands-on surgical training and support at a cataract outreach event in Aweil organized by the Ministry of Health with support from the Catholic Diocese of Wao.
After years of civil war and with only a small handful of eye care professionals serving a population of nearly 13 million people, most South Sudanese lack adequate access to eye care.
At the outreach in Aweil, 1,023 people had their sight restored, all of whom were bilaterally blind. The surgical team opted to perform surgery on one eye for each patient so more patients could be served. This is the third 1,000+ patient surgical outreach in the area in the last 16 months, underscoring the critical need for eye care services. Key members of the surgical team included local ophthalmologists Drs. Albino Nyibong and Aja Paul, both associated with the Ophthalmic Association of South Sudan, and four local cataract surgeons.
Note, all images from Chris Hildreth/RoosterMedia
