This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Seva Foundation sends delegates worldwide for World Sight Day
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Seva Foundation sent delegates to Nepal, India and Guatemala to coincide with World Sight Day on Oct. 11 to improve global eye health and prevent and treat curable blindness.
Seva embodied this year’s World Sight Day call to action, “Eye Care Everywhere” with programs in more than 20 countries and a focus on building local capacity to increase access to eye care in underserved communities, according to a foundation announcement.
One delegation headed to Nepal, the birthplace of Seva’s work.
Another group is traveling to India, where 15-minute cataract surgery was developed by long-time Seva partner, Aravind Eye Care System. One of Seva’s life-time board members introduced the technology of intraocular lenses in 1981 to Aravind, revolutionizing cataract surgery and bringing the cost down to just $50, according to Seva.
A third trip was organized to Guatemala, one of Seva’s newer partner countries, and the work is already showing impressive results, Seva said.
To date, Seva has restored sight to 4 million people and provided sight-protecting eye care to more than 10 million people, according to the press release.
Seva’s efforts have been accelerating under the umbrella of the Global Sight Initiative (GSI), Seva’s major partnership-based program, according to the announcement. This past year alone, more than 400,000 cataract surgeries were completed by GSI hospitals, and many more people gained access to sight-saving eye care.