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Life is tough in South Sudan as
the grossly impoverished region struggles to rebuild after
21 years of civil war. It's even harder for the tens of
thousands who can't see, mostly because of preventable
infections left untreated during the conflict, some of which
have been wiped out in other parts of Africa. Blindness is a
common problem in the region often and is often caused by
river blindness, trachoma and cataracts.
River Blindness
is caused by a worm that breeds in fast-flowing rivers. It
is a major cause of blindness in west and central Africa.
Around 18 million people worldwide are infected by river
blindness, of whom roughly 300,000 are irreversibly blind.
99% of those live in Africa. River Blindness
is preventable and treatable, if diagnosed early enough.
Severe disease typically requires hundreds of bites to get
infected. It generally takes its toll on the poorest of the
poor.
A cataract is a
clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. This
prevents light from passing through and vision is blurred.
Most cataracts are due to the normal aging process and
develop at different rates. Certain medical conditions, like
diabetes or heart problems, may also cause early
development. The upward trend in cataract diseases cases in
Sudan are ascribed to high temperature, malnutrition along
with high blood pressure, diabetes and other infections.
Around 50% of blindness in Sub-Saharan Africa is due to
cataract.
Trachoma is an
infectious disease of the eye caused by the bacterium,
Chlamydia Trachomatis. The bacteria can be spread easily
from an infected person's hands or clothing and can even be
carried by flies that come in contact with fluids from the
eyes or nose of an infected individual. This chronic eye
infection results in scaring of the eyelids and damage to
the eyeball, resulting in blindness if left untreated. There are 3.5
million people living with trachoma in Sudan, 75% of
which are in South Sudan. Trachoma is a quiet
disease that manifests gradually. Children that are infected
may not have symptoms until adulthood.
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Blindness caused
by flies and parasites has
intensified the suffering in South Sudan. |
