The Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and Orbis International have jointly launched a initiative to provide eye screenings for 1 million low-income people and conduct 100,000 cataract surgeries over the next two years.
The initiative was inaugurated on Wednesday at PKSF Bhaban-1 in Agargaon, Dhaka, according to a press release.
The project, titled 鈥楥omprehensive Cataract Services in Bangladesh,鈥� project aims to eliminate preventable blindness in the country.
According to the release, about 550,000 people aged 30 years and above are visually impaired across the country, with nearly 70 percent suffering blindness caused by cataracts.
Speakers at the inaugural ceremony highlighted the severe impact of vision impairment on productivity and poverty.
Md Saidur Rahman, secretary of the Health Services Division at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that without eyesight, a person becomes unable to work, but through cataract surgery, individuals can regain their vision and return to the workforce.
He added that the initiative would enable people in remote areas to access modern eye care services.
Christie Hubbard, director of Orbis International, said cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in Bangladesh, yet they remain one of the most easily treatable conditions.
PKSF chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan said the organisation places special emphasis on reducing health- and livelihood-related risks by implementing preventive healthcare and primary treatment initiatives.
He expressed hope that conducting 100,000 cataract surgeries would make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation.
