Many people in Africa go blind unnecessarily because both facilities and specialists for appropriate treatment are lacking. Children who suffer from corneal or lens opacity, who have severe strabismus, or who suffer eye injuries require prompt specialist help. In Eritrea, however, there is only one eye clinic with a total of 3 ophthalmologists.
ARCHEMED missions focus on the care of children with strabismus. Strabismus, or squinting, is an important field in ophthalmology because the quality of life for affected children is often extremely impaired. The condition usually appears in infancy and childhood and should be treated as early as possible. Strabismus is frequently accompanied by visual impairment or double vision. Spatial vision is often completely absent, leading to a delay in motor development. Often, the children squint so severely that they can only see anything at all by holding their heads at an extreme tilt or angle.
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Since January 2013, our ARCHEMED teaching orthoptist has been attending to these patients during missions that sometimes last several weeks. She is occasionally accompanied by an ophthalmic surgeon who performs the operative procedures. The examination of children with strabismus is very diverse and time-consuming, requiring a high degree of specialized knowledge. The more thoroughly these are carried out, the more accurately it can be decided if and when surgery is necessary. The Eritrean doctors and optometrists are always involved, receiving ongoing training from us in diagnostics, treatment, and aftercare.
We receive great support for this mission from the local specialist Dr. Ghenet at the Asmara Eye Clinic. She provides basic care for the children (glasses and patches) in our absence and is now able to perform simpler eye muscle surgeries independently.
Project Management
Gesine Schwerdtfeger, Teaching Orthoptist, Hamburg
