Advances in eye health October 7, 2022 | City Talk May Griffith, PhD, Marie-Claude Robert, MD, Samir Jabbour, MD, and Isabelle Brunette, MD Department of Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal The first-in-human attempt to regenerate the human cornea was a team effort led by May Griffith, who is currently a Université de Montréal (UdeM) professor of ophthalmology. Together with Isabelle Brunette and the Swedish clinical trial [...]
Shri Mani: A story of success after sight is restored October 6, 2022 | City Talk The Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation shares a story of a patient in Nepal that was cured of needless cataract blindness in 2021. Shri Mani Rai lives in the remote area of the Himalayan outback and suffered with cataract-induced blindness for many years without any medical treatment. With access to the area restricted due to [...]
Curing cataracts in Nepal’s most isolated areas October 5, 2022 | City Talk On the 16th of April, the Tej Kohli and Ruit Foundation conducted their second high-volume outreach microsurgical eye camp (OMEC). This took place in Nepal’s Solukhumbu District which is located in the foothills of Mount Everest. The camp took place over three days with the groundwork for the camp being planned long before. Unlike previous [...]
Making the invisible, visible October 4, 2022 | City Talk How an eye health programme in Zimbabwe is using technology to ensure no one is left behind. Kiyasi can’t remember when she first noticed the problems with her eyes. “When I rubbed them, tears would come out, then I’d wipe the tears and then be able to see. My eyes seemed to have something in them but [...]
Productivity after sight-loss October 4, 2022 | City Talk Hugh Bassett Worldwide, over 1.1 billion people are living with unaddressed sight loss. This can vary in severity,but in many cases, it is intuitive that this will lead to a lack of productivity. Sight loss can cause orexacerbate poverty through reduced employment prospects and work productivity, as well asadversely affect educational opportunities and outcomes. This [...]
Driven to suicide by blindness: How a woman finds a second chance at sight and life October 2, 2022 | City Talk Losing one’s sight is terrifying and daunting. It leaves the visually impaired person reliant on those around them to assist them in navigating their way through the world. Without the help and generosity of others, it can lead to a loss of hope and tragically sometimes life. 55-year-old Chyo Maya Praja lives high up in [...]
Discrimination against Dalits: How status can affect eye health September 30, 2022 | City Talk The Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation has recently set up camps in Nepal where members of the highly discriminated against Dalits received cataract-curing surgery. Many cultures have systems of hierarchy entwined in their makeup. In the United Kingdom we have had the hierarchy of Kings and Queens, Knights and Noblemen, followed by merchants and peasants. [...]
Curing a village of needless blindness September 29, 2022 | City Talk In a rural fishing and farming village in Morang District of Nepal, a team from the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation set up a screening camp on 15th August 2022. From the village, over 150 people were screened and 23 of those were found to be living with cataracts. This is an extremely common form [...]
How sustainable is eyecare? September 28, 2022 | City Talk Dr John Buchan, Assistant Professor of International Eye Health LSHTM Climate change is regarded by many as the greatest long-term threat to global health in the 21st century. Although modest progress has been made by many sectors, overall, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise. Health services are substantial contributors to national greenhouse gas emissions [...]
8 Facts about cataracts September 28, 2022 | City Talk What is cataract blindness? A cataract is a clouding of the lens of your eye. Cataracts a relatively common and are one of the most common causes of visual impairment. Cataracts can make your vision hazy, blurry and dull and can cause trouble reading or doing normal activities. What are the symptoms of cataracts? Symptoms [...]