Children's Eye Care in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has more than 40,000 blind children, which is about eight per 10,000 children. A further one million suffer from untreated refractive errors and eye diseases. Many of them are hard to locate, as either blindness keeps them within the home, or impaired vision prevents them from attending school.

A new program is being funded by ORBIS International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting blindness worldwide. It consists of vision clinics in some of the more remote schools of Bangladesh, where eye examinations are done and vision tests administered. Glasses are then made at a low price, or free for the poor. Cataract surgeries are done at no cost at an eye hospital in Mymensingh, one of the districts first established by the British in India in 1787. It is an area of intensively cultivated fields, many rivers, and nearby jungle. Mymensingh town is the district headquarters.

ORBIS has also established seven pediatric eye care centers throughout Bangladesh, in an effort to fill the gap of missing eye health services. The goal is to build 15 such centers. All parents are strongly encouraged to bring their children to one of these centers if they notice any abnormality of vision.

Girls Especially in Need

In particular, girls are neglected, as parents are intimidated by the social barrier that blocks medical care in general for girls. They also fear their money would not be well spent in that way. There are many projects begun now which provide financial help at hospitals so that children, and girls in particular, can receive the eye care they need.

Early intervention will prevent much blindness or near-blindness, and correct such childhood problems as lazy eye, childhood cataracts, and myopia. The Mymensingh hospital has an innovative approach to pediatric eye care and attracts people from other districts who have eye problems.

Childhood vision problems should indeed be corrected as soon as possible to avoid a lifetime of vision problems. If you notice any abnormality in your child's vision, such as frequent tilting of the head to see out of one eye, the eyes being directed in two different directions, or a persistent reluctance to read, please do not delay in seeking advice and care. You can use the links at the bottom of this screen to find a qualified eye doctor in your area.