CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC—Canon’s Medical Eye Care Division through their authorized distributor in Italy, Frastema Ophthalmic srl, has supported the Optical Center Anna in the Mama Carla Paediatric Centre, Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR) with a donation of eye care diagnostic equipment.
The CAR has limited healthcare facilities and eyecare specialists and the Optical Center Anna, Mama Carla paediatric Center, is a big project of the non-profit organization Amici per II Centrafrica that has stepped up to help and support the country’s fight against visual impairments.
The donation includes a Canon Autorefractor, a lens meter, and a Full Auto Tonometer, which helps with the screening and diagnostic of refraction errors and intraocular pressure in the eyes.
Canon’s advanced eyecare equipment has been life-changing for thousands of children suffering from vision loss in Bangui, Central African Republic.
The situation in the country is alarming because children are often facing undetected vision limitations during school lessons, and this has impacted their livelihoods.
According to Optical Care Anna, Bangui’s dry climate has been a huge contributor to poor vision conditions including Paediatric Dry Eye.
The admirable work at the center at Mama Carla Hospital is being carried out by a senior technician in ophthalmology, an optician, and an intern.
At the clinic, children suffering from vision disorders and discomfort are assisted with treatment including eye drops for artificial tears, corticosteroid therapy, which is used to reduce inflammation, and are provided with sunglasses that have been donated.
Dr. Ngondjhias Bonna Marie Nick, the optician who has been working at the clinic said, “I have been here for over three years, and I see an average of 45 children per day from newborns to 15-year-olds.”
Dr. Nick also noted that poor vision slows down reaction time and can lead to dangerous consequences.
He also notes that the eye is an organ that can easily be damaged so taking care of one’s eyes is crucial due to its impact on quality of life.
Cristina Ceresoli, Vice President of Amici per II Centrafrica said that there was so much good being done at the clinic in Bangui, all thanks to the dedicated staff, volunteers, and the reliability and accuracy of Canon’s eyecare equipment.
Adel Bencheikh, Director of Canon Medical Eye Care said it was an honour to donate and support such an initiative, which follows Canon’s Medical Made for Life philosophy. He thanked Chris Van Wijk, the Canon Eye Care Product Manager who has been involved in this project from the nascent stages.
Tushar Vashnavi, Director of Strategic Planning for Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) said it was heart-warming and rewarding to know that Canon’s eyecare technology was being used to positively change thousands of children’s lives.
Mr. Vashnavi noted that, “We at Canon are inspired by the work at Mama Carla and by the commitment and dedication of staff and volunteers. We are proud that Canon products play a small part in this uplifting initiative.”
The situation in CAR is rather more precarious than most due to the ongoing conflicts that limit the ability of the organization to reach and support the most vulnerable population.
According to the U.S. Department of State-Humanitarian Information Unit, 63% of the population need humanitarian assistance with attacks on relief aid workers affecting their ability to support aid and relief distribution.
The most recurring conditions according to Frastema Ophthalmic srl, are cataracts and glaucoma which unfortunately have always been attributed to aging but are now prevalent in children under 5 years in CAR due to malnutrition and dry conditions.
The WHO Vision 2020: The Right to Sight reports that 6 million children globally are visually impaired and 80% are in developing nations.
WHO Vision 2020 recommend that countries continue to establish and strengthen screening and treatment of visual impairment to achieve their principal goal of zero instances of avoidable blindness globally.
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