The South African National Council for the Blind is proud to report that in association with the Free State Department of Health, FHC, Plascon, Vodacom Foundation, North West Province Department of Health and the Allergan Foundation, we achieved a total of 477 cataract removal operations during Eye Care Awareness Month held in October 2011.

It is with much appreciation that we acknowledge the help and support of all our funding partners. Together, we have all given the gift of sight back to close to 500 people. We had originally anticipated reaching a target of 700 people, but with the help of our funders we’ve managed to get as close to our target as we could.

Statistics prove that 80% of blindness is preventable or curable and a simple operation like these cataract removal ones does a world of difference to someone suffering from the condition who would have needlessly gone blind because they do not have the means to get the necessary eye care. Our mobile eye clinics do regular tours in far flung areas to ensure that all South Africans get access to eye care facilities.

This year, the statistics were as follows:
• The Free State with the assistance of the Free State Department of Health had 54 operations;
• Kwa Zulu Natal with the assistance of the FHC had 45;
• Mpumalanga with the assistance of Plascon conducted 171 operations across three hospitals;
• Northern Cape with the assistance of Vodacom had 79 operations in Barkley West; and,
• North West with the assistance of North West the Allergan Foundation had 128 operations in two areas.

If there’s any way your company would also like to be involved in our cataract removal blitzes, please contact Nishen Naicker at 012 452 3811 to pledge your financial support for this worthy cause.

The Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness, Council's Eye Care Division, is coordinating and conducting various cataract blitzes (high volume cataract surgeries) in six of the provinces during the month of October in order to put eye care services in the reach of under-serviced, rural communities.

Each cataract surgery, which is performed in under 30 minutes, gives the gift of sight back to each patient – and the Bureau plans to be instrumental in giving this gift to as many as over 700 people.

These blitzes take place as part of the Eye Care Awareness Month (ECAM) campaign. This is a South African initiative held annually in the month of October in order to raise awareness about the importance of eye health, specifically around the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness. International World Sigh Day, which will be held on 13 October, is an important day within the ECAM calendar.

In the words of Mthobi Tyamzashe, Executive Director CSI and Chairman of the Vodacom Foundation (one of our main Eye Care sponsors): “Many South Africans go about their lives enduring preventable physical illnesses that can be eliminated at very low cost and in little or no time, given today’s technological advancements. Vodacom has chosen to play a positive role in ensuring that such unfortunate citizens are not lost from making their contribution towards a sound economy, through partnerships like the one with the South African National Council for the Blind.”

80% of blindness is avoidable either through prevention or through treatment, which is why ECAM's message: “Love your eyes” and get your eyes tested at least once per year, is so important.

For more information call Feni at the Bureau on 012 452-3811 or send us an email.

By Maria Hlonipho

The South African National Council for the Blind was honoured by a visit of a delegation of twelve ophthalmic nursing students and two lecturers from the Institute of Health Sciences in Molepolole, Botswana from the 7th to the 11th of March 2011. These students were professional nurses, registered for the post basic course in Ophthalmic Nursing and were in their last semester of an 18 month course. The Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness coordinated the participation of various stakeholders in Council and at the University of Pretoria.

The purpose of the educational tour was to understand Council’s role in community eye care and to acquire practical experience in surgical eye care.

Jace Nair, our National Executive Director and the management of Council’s various divisions delivered presentations on the following topics:
• An overview of Council with the focus on our governance, projects and fundraising;
• Our comprehensive Eye Care Programme;
• Our Community Development Programme;
• Orientation and Mobility Services; and,
• Our Community Based Rehabilitation Services.

The nurses visited our Resource Centre, the Itireleng Community Project in Ga-Rankuwa as well as our training facilities at Optima where they received a practical demonstration on Orientation and Mobility. They also visited the Tshwane and Kalafong hospitals to observe operations for cataracts, and special operations such as corneal transplants, repair of detached retinas, phaco-emulsifications, plastic surgery on eyelids, etc.

The Botswana delegation also shared their experiences in eye care services and training of nurses with our staff and acknowledged that they benefited a lot from their visit. The tour leader expressed their appreciation of the clinical learning opportunities presented by Council and the hospitals and promised to visit again every two years when they have another intake of ophthalmic nursing students.

The following official statement was received from Claudette Medefindt from Retina South Africa (a member organisation of Council):

The X-Cell clinic in Germany has been closed down by the German Authorities and the centre has filed for bankruptcy. Retina South Africa has welcomed the news with great relief.

Retina South Africa's Director for Science, Claudette Medefindt, says “ The experimental procedures they were using were not backed up with any clinical trials or even papers published in any reputable scientific journals.” Desperate patients waiting for therapy often resort to unproven methods, but the use of autologous stem cells that have already specialised have potential dangers. Unrestricted cell growth could lead to tumours and many other complications.

“The therapeutic use of stem cells to treat retinal vision loss has tremendous potential, but proper scientifically controlled and registered treatment trials are only just beginning. Retina South Africa is in contact with all the role players in the international research arena and urges retinal patients to check with them before embarking on any unregistered and experimental procedures”

Young patients are urged to join the organisation and have a genetic test to determine which gene mutation they have. Only patients with a genetic diagnosis will be eligible for future gene specific treatments and clinical trials.

Contact Claudette via email or or phone her on 083 306-5262 or see the Retina ENews that features promising research and treatment trials on Retina South Africa's website.

A person with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) has small eye nerves (optic nerves) from the eye to the brain. Some people with ONH also have an abnormal brain and a poorly functioning pituitary gland. The attached brochure explains the problems that can occur in children with ONH.

Your child may have none, any, or all of these problems in a mild or more serious form. Depending on the person's problem sometimes the disease is called Optic nerve Hypoplasia (ONH), septo-optic dysplasia, or De Morsier's syndrome.

If you need support, please email Karen Muller or phone her on: 083 328-1938 or 031 762-2602.