A community hospital preventing blindness in eastern Nepal
Stories | February 19, 2024
Every Miracles Day, CBM supporters open their hearts to give the Miracle of sight-saving surgery to people living in poverty.
At CBM, we see first-hand the difference this support makes in the lives of the old and young. For example, cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness. They can affect people of all ages but are more common in older people, like 80-year-old Prem from Nepal.
Prem had been gradually losing his sight for over three years. But, living in a rural area, he didn’t know where to go for help.
Growing up in poverty is hard enough but much tougher for those losing sight. Of the 20 million people worldwide, who are blind from cataracts, 90% live in developing countries like Nepal.
CBM Australia supports an eye hospital in a poor region of eastern Nepal, primarily focused on providing vital and inclusive eye care and corrective surgery to people with diminished sight and preventable blindness. It was here that a simple operation restored Prem’s sight. Now he can see clearly and feels he has a new vision power in his eye.
For some people living in the remote hills or mountainous regions of Nepal, the cost of travelling to the hospital is simply too great. Others may not even know about the eye health service. That is why the hospital also does outreach visits to give as many people as possible the opportunity to live a life free from preventable blindness.
On Miracles Day, Thursday 18 August, give the Miracle of sight-saving surgery to someone living in poverty. Your $33 donation can change a life forever.
Our eye program in Nepal is driven by public donations from generous Australian supporters and the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/community-hospital-preventing-blindness-eastern-nepal-man-cataract-surgery
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