Meena (L), a 22-year-old mother from a remote village in Nepal and her family’s sole provider, received care for her corneal abrasion.
A local community health worker (R) successfully identified and treated a scratch on Meena’s cornea with topical antibiotics.
Without treatment, corneal abrasions often lead to irreversible blindness.
(PRESS RELEASE) WATERBURY, VT — HCP Cureblindness today announces a new milestone in the prevention of corneal blindness. Through the training of community health workers in Nepal and India by SightLife International, now a part of HCP Cureblindness, more than 50,000 men, women and children in these countries have been successfully treated and their sight saved.
“The program screens and provides first aid care to patients with corneal abrasions, essentially becoming the community’s first responders,” explains K-T Overbey, HCP Cureblindness’ CEO. “Untreated corneal abrasions often lead to irreversible blindness. This is filling a critical gap in the eye care system by providing early intervention and treatment that is cost effective and accessible in rural communities.”
This proven solution could prevent nearly 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness each year. More than 90% of the world’s corneal blind live in low- and middle-income regions of the world. Unfortunately, many individuals cannot access care and therefore lose their sight, and often their independence and livelihood.
HCP Cureblindness plans to expand the prevention program by scaling in new and existing geographies, investing in technology and developing new curricula to prevent new cases of corneal blindness. They will utilize their current partnerships to expand care to countries where they are actively helping to eradicate needless blindness. The combined networks of HCP Cureblindness and SightLife number in the hundreds of committed partners and collaborators.
In March 2023, HCP Cureblindness acquired SightLife International to make a greater global impact in eye care. Together, each organization’s respective expertise will have a substantial and long-term impact on the world’s most underserved communities. Building on a shared commitment to training, while also combining HCP Cureblindness’ deep expertise in specialized care delivery and infrastructure development with SightLife International’s expertise in primary care and policy and advocacy, millions more will have access to critical eye care across Asia and Africa.
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