EGYPTIAN Association For Prevention Of BLINDNESS

Reg. number 4316/1996

Brief

The Egyptian Blindness Fighting Society was founded in August 1996 by a group of Egyptian ophthalmologists. Blindness is considered one of the biggest health problems in Egypt. According to WHO’s definition, blindness is present when either eyes or both has a power vision less than 3/60. As this problem is focused on poor and limited income citizens, whose voice is unable to reach to decision-makers, this problem in return is neglected and permeated. Unfortunately, the state did not give this problem its due attention. This is quite clear from the data we obtained from Statistics Institute, which shows the following: -

1-Egyptian population is 70.000.000 citizen (seventy million citizen)

2. Percentage of individuals whose income is lesser than LE 2000 a year is 53% of the gross population. So, they represent the poorer category of population and who are unable to pay the costs of surgeries. This also means that their number is about 37.000.000 citizen.

3. The percentage of diseases may cause blindness (cataract, glaucoma, corneal lecoma and other eyeball diseases) reaches to 4% of citizens.

4. The number of poor with blindness is 1.480.000 millions (one million and four hundred eighty thousands citizens).

5. The number of ophthalmologists is 1375 .

6-Ophthalmology outpatient settings all over the country is 157 for 70 million citizen

7-The number of ophthalmology operation rooms in Egypt is just 95 operating room for 70 million citizen .

8-The number of big surgeries (curing blindness-causing diseases) operated annually in Egypt is 24700 major operations

9-The number of free beds provided for ophthalmology patients is 1750 beds .
 

Then, if we count the percentage of blinded people (1.480.000) versus annually big operations (24700) patients we will find that the percentage is around 1.66% that is to say that

  • Every 3 patients out of 200 have the opportunity to undergo a big operation to cure their blindness.

  • Only one ophthalmologist is available for each 51.000 (fifty one thousands) citizen

  • Only one operation room is available for each 737.000 (seven hundred thirty seven thousand) citizen

  • Only one free bed for each 40.000 (forty thousand) citizen (all numbers and statistics are quoted from Central Organization for Mobilization and Statistics, latest Health Journal; 2002)

Item

1994

1998

2002

Population

60 million

65 million

70 million
 

Poor

70%

60%

 

Poor with blindness

1.280.000

1.170.000

1.48

Ophthalmologists

1039

1243

1375

Outpatient Rooms

88

145

157

Operation rooms

61

90

95

Free bed for Eye disease

1653

1550

1750

Big surgeries  number

14.156

19.000

24700

Average of surgeries versus patients need them

1.1% undergone surgery

1.6% undergone surgery

1.66%

undergone surgery

If we move to countryside which represents 60% of total population (42.000.000 citizen), we will find that health services is much worse as follows -

  • The number of ophthalmology hospitals in countryside all over Egypt is 1 (just one hospital

  • The number of ophthalmologists in rural health settings all over Egypt is 9 eye doctors.

This reflects a serious decline in serving eye disease patients in countryside since there is only, as we have mentioned nine ophthalmologists in rural health settings to serve 42.000.000 citizens and just one ophthalmology hospital. This in turn led to an increase in blindness disease in countryside as a result of a sharp decrease in health care services.

Also, the previous study shows that ophthalmology service growth is achieving a slow progress as the percentage is improving by 0.5% each four years i.e. 0.1% a year. Accordingly, this shows that we need 1000 years to make the percentage 100%. So, we have founded Egyptian Blindness Fighting Society to fulfill the following objectives.

   1. Helping blindness-threatened poor patients (cataract, cataract, retinal detachment strabismus, corneal leukemia and other eyeball diseases) who are unable to pay the costs of surgery despite they are hopeful cases could be recovered and turned into industrious citizens.

   2. Launching Medical Caravans all over Egypt and especially on ophthalmology deprived regions to treat those who are threatened to lose their sight.

   3. Establishing ophthalmology clinics in these deprived regions to serve poor and referring patients in need for surgery to the Society Head Office

   4. Providing aids to blindness recovered patients to establish a minor project to help them in starting their new lives usefully or attempting to recruit them in positions suitable with their capabilities and education

   5. Conducting health forum for citizens in deprived regions to explain to them the most suitable ways to control eye disease (ophthalmology) and the necessity of treatment and consultation of any nearby ophthalmologist

The society has launched more than 85 medical caravans all over Egypt (55 of which in Cairo only), which examined in this period (four and half years) more than 20.000 cases

This was a brief about the activities of the society and its objectives