Project Overview
Cataract is a major cause of blindness in Pakistan affecting 60% of total blindness. With an estimated 65% of the population living in rural areas of Pakistan, where eye care facilities are almost non-existent the situation required some intervention aimed at providing support to communities without access to proper care and treatment.

IR launched a three-year pilot project in 1998 to address the problem of cataract and has been organising eye camps in which operations are carried out using Intra Ocular Lenses (IOLs).

Problem / Project Background
Although the general health of Pakistan's population has improved over the last 20 years, progress has been slower than in other countries in the region. One of the reasons for this is the lack of government investment in this area. Health spending as a percentage of GNP (Gross National Product) is below 0.5%.

Cataract is a major cause of blindness in Pakistan. According to WHO statistics approximately 60 % of total blindness in Pakistan is caused by cataract. The incidence of cataract is high in people above the age of 50, with nearly 70 % of them in various stages of cataract.

A simple operation is required to cure the problem however, if left untreated it could lead to permanent blindness. The situation is made worse by the fact that nearly 70% of these cases are from individuals who live in rural areas where eye care facilities are non-existent.

The project aims to address this particular problem by carrying out cataract operations in rural areas allowing communities access to a service which they would not otherwise have access to.

Project Objectives

• To reduce the number of people suffering from blindness caused by cataract
  

• To raise awareness amongst rural communities on how to identify and treat cataract
  

Project Activities
To attain maximum benefits of the project eye camps are held in various places of the project target area, which includes the Northern Areas of Pakistan and some regions in Punjab.

• The date and venue of the camps is publicised by way of local newspapers, banners and leaflets in advance so that people are well informed.
  

• Tests carried out in these eye camps give a list of people who are suffering from cataract.
  

• Operations are carried out based on these lists; priority is given to people in advanced stages of cataract.
  

• Operations are held in Government run Rural Health Centres (RHC). There is one RHC in each union council.
  

• Operations are relatively simple and the patient is kept under observation for one day.

For this project IR is partnering Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) and the Ministry of Health (MoH).

PIMA, a NGO formed by Pakistani Doctors voluntarily devoting their time for providing free medical services to the poor, provide surgeons, nurses and other logistical support for this project.

The MoH provide access to the RHC's where the operations are carried out while the community assist in the eye camps and provide food for the patients.

Beneficiaries
The project has been operating successfully since 1998 and has benefited:

Cataract Operations: 2,483
Other eye related surgery: 1,881
Outpatients assessed
and advised: 59,842

Other Activities in Country

• Neelum Valley Health Programme (NVHP)

• Kashmir Community Water Project (KCWP)

• Bagh Water Project (BWP)

• Neelum Valley Sustainable Livelihoods Project (NVSLP)

• Neelum Valley Disaster Preparedness Project (NVDPP)

• Small Scale Enterprise for Women (SEW)

• Chagai Integrated Rehabilitation Development Project (CIRDP)

• Baluchistan Water Rehabilitation Development Project (BWRDP)

• Prevention Of Blindness (POB)