New Sight, New Vision for A Better Future
By Hajira Halilu
In a remarkable demonstration of compassion and impact, Islamic Health Association of Malawi (IHAM) recently conducted a medical camp at Mangochi District Hospital, transforming lives of 48 cataract patients who underwent sight-restoring surgeries.
Funded by Barakah Charity, the eye camp ran from October 7 to 11, 2024, and was a collaborative effort between IHAM, Operation Eyesight Universal, and the Mangochi District Health Office.
IHAM Programs Officer Mussah Joned Chatuwa highlighted the success of the camp, stating that 1,420 patients were screened across 12 health centers in Mangochi District. Patients diagnosed with cataracts were referred to Mangochi District Hospital, where 48 surgeries were successfully performed—surpassing the initial target of 40.
One of the beneficiaries, 59-year-old Melia Wisiki from Mgundaphiri Village, expressed profound gratitude for the restoration of her sight after a year-long struggle with cataract-induced vision loss. Melia, a single head of her household, described the challenge of providing for her family while contending with visual impairment.
“I have been struggling with the cataract for over 12 months, which made my daily life difficult. As the head of my household, I faced challenges providing for my family and performing household tasks,” she shared. Initially referred to Lilongwe for surgery, Melia could not afford the costs of travel and treatment. When the opportunity for free surgery arose through IHAM’s medical camp, she was overjoyed. “The prospect of regaining my eyesight felt like a dream come true,” she exclaimed.
Byson Kapatamoyo, Head of the Eye Department at Mangochi District Hospital, described the camp as a significant success, as it reduced the backlog of cataract cases among Mangochi’s communities. “We screened patients at 12 of the 48 health centers in the district, meaning we still have 36 more centers to reach,” he said. Kapatamoyo emphasized the importance of ongoing support from IHAM and Barakah Charity to help the district reach more patients. “While we strive to provide healthcare support as a district, collaborative efforts with organizations like IHAM are crucial to reducing the number of people living with this condition,” he added.
Barakah Charity’s Chief Executive Officer, Dowd Milanzi, expressed satisfaction with the camp’s outcomes, emphasizing that access to healthcare and well-being in rural communities is a key focus area for the organization. Milanzi confirmed that Barakah Charity plans to continue working with IHAM to provide eye care support and organize regular cataract surgery camps oftentimes.
Cataracts, a leading cause of blindness globally, are treatable through surgeries involving lens extraction and replacement. Malawi has one of the world’s highest rates of blindness due to cataracts. According to the World Health Organization (2021), 1.67 million Malawians experience some form of visual impairment, with 69,365 being completely blind. The main causes of visual impairment in the country include uncorrected refractive errors, presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, corneal opacities, diabetic retinopathy, and trachoma.
In line with the Malawi government’s effort to eradicate avoidable blindness by 2027, IHAM plans to hold quarterly eye camps in cataract-prone districts such as the Lakeshore and Lower Shire areas.
