Previous Activities
October 2024 Medical Camp
In October 2024 we planned and undertook a cataract surgery camp to Queens Elizabeth Central hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. The aim of our first camp was to meet the local team in Blantyre to plan future engagement as well as provide training and consumables to enable the team to continue treating cataracts after we departed.
During this camp we successfully:
-
Donated enough equipment for the team to deliver 700 cataract surgies!
-
Had a UK based expert cataract surgeon provide training for the local surgical team on different techniques to improve outcomes
-
Built relationships with the Queen Elizabeth team to understand how they operate and how we can best support them in future (read more about our current priorities here)
-
Created an inventory of hospital eye care equipment to help plan maintenance schedules
-
Planned what additional equipment would be needed to train local surgeons in advanced techniques such as phaco and vitreo retinal capabilities
Long term we aim to support the development of the vitreoretinal services, and negate the need for patients to seek surgery abroad. With no vitreoretinal operating equipment in the entire country, our vision is to source equipment and support with training for this specialist surgery.
Malawi is in the bottom 10% of countries in terms of cataract surgical rate[1]. This means thousands of people are living with impaired sight that is treatable. We are committed to supporting the local doctors providing eyecare in Malawi to prevent avoidable blindness and are very grateful to anything you may be able to offer.
What we need your help to do
Our goal is to restore the vision of as many people as possible in Malawi who are living with preventible blindness. All funds raised will go towards cataract surgery consumables, modern equipment for cataract surgery and funding outreach to rural villages in Malawi.
We estimate that a single cataract surgery in Malawi costs £20, a fraction of the cost in countries such as the UK and a small price to pay to restore a person's eyesight, enabling them to read, work and live unassisted.
Please donate today.