Noor Dubai Foundation treated 5,000 visually impaired people in Bangladesh

Noor Dubai Foundation has organised its first 'Mobile Eye Camp 2019' at the Narail, Khulna District in Bangladesh, in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, where 5,000 people benefited from the programmers' activities.

The programmes include screening and providing diagnosis and health care, conducting surgeries, and distributing spectacles at each camp.

Since the launch of the Mobile Eye Camp programme in 2008, Noor Dubai has organised six Mobile Eye Camps in Bangladesh, where they have provided medical and diagnostic services to over 35,000 patients, conducted over 4,000 surgeries, and distributed 11,000 eye glasses.

"Globally, around 253 million people suffer from visual impairment, 80 percent of it is curable or avoidable. About 750,000 people in Bangladesh are suffering from blindness. Around 1.5 million children in Bangladesh are suffering from low vision, which can be treated. Around 250,000 people in Bangladesh risk losing their eyesight because of chronic illnesses such as diabetic retinopathy," said Dr. Manal Taryam, CEO and Board Member of Noor Dubai Foundation.

"We hope to multiply our efforts in Bangladesh by expanding our activities into more long term programmes to include human resource development and infrastructure improvements. We have been instructed by our wise leadership to spare no effort in delivering help to those in need," he added.

In addition to providing treatment and preventive programmes, mobile eye camps aim to empower communities.

Providing the appropriate treatment to those individuals in need results in a significant positive impact both on the personal level for those individuals receiving treatment, in addition to an improved economic state for the whole community, as these individuals are able to get back to their jobs and lives, leading to an improved social and economic condition.

"Cataracts are the most common causes of curable blindness worldwide followed by refractive errors. We can perform surgery to remove cataracts in our eye camp, reversing the visual impairment. Studies have shown that cataract surgery can contribute to poverty alleviation, particularly among the most vulnerable members of society. Cataract surgery improves the health-related quality of life of the individual and economy of the household. The findings of this study suggest these benefits are sustained in the long term," Dr. Taryam explained.

This camp in Bangladesh was supported by DEWA, as part of their humanitarian efforts during the 'Year of Tolerance'.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, commended Noor Dubai’s efforts to implement pioneering projects to treat eye diseases for the needy around the world. He also praised DEWA’s employees who volunteered.

In turn, Saed Mohammed Al Muhairi, UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh, stated, "Under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the UAE Embassy in Bangladesh in coordination with UAE humanitarian and developmental NGOs have provided aid and support to Bangladeshi people through coordinated work with the government of Bangladesh."

The UAE Embassy, he said, worked closely with several international organisations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide support to the Rohingya refugees exceeding AED24 million, and continues to work closely with the government to provide more.

To date, Noor Dubai Foundation has organised camps in 32 cities in 17 countries where 263,438 individuals have been screened, 26,600 surgeries have been performed and 62,034 glasses provided.

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