RESTORING EYE SIGHT AT YIROL
23.05.2011 William Omwega

A team of eye specialists drawn from Arkangelo Ali Association (AAA) and Christian Mission Aid (CMA) will be performing eye operations at Yirol County Hospital, Yirol starting on the 23rd of May to 3rd June. The eye camp will run with the hope of benefitting more than 150 patients who are on the waiting list.
The eye team mainly targets persons with eye conditions that can be corrected through surgical operation like cataract.
Cataract is a clouding of the natural lens, the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and producing clear, sharp images. The lens is contained in a sealed bag or capsule. As old cells die they become trapped within the capsule. Over time, the cells accumulate causing the lens to cloud, making images look blurred or fuzzy. For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging.
Cataracts develop for a variety of reasons, including long-term exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to radiation, secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and advanced age, or trauma. Genetic factors are often a cause of congenital cataracts and positive family history may also play a role in predisposing someone to cataracts at an earlier age, a phenomenon of "anticipation" in pre-senile cataracts. Cataracts may also be produced by eye injury or physical trauma.
In Southern Sudan, cataract is among the leading causes of blindness. The current eye camp targets patients mainly from Lakes States with plans to extend the services to other Counties & States in future. Patients from Mapourdit will have to be transported to Yirol by AAA due to the prevailing insecurity in the area.