“Kids” and “cataracts” aren’t two words one hears very often in the same sentence. For one thing, the young person having the vision difficulty might not make that much of it, assuming everyone sees objects surrounded by a big fuzzy blur. They may be shy about bringing it up, or a little freaked out that they can’t see the front of the classroom or aren’t as adept at sports as they’d like to be.
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Today, there are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples worldwide, speaking 4,000 of the world’s languages. No two communities are the same, and neither are their eye care needs. In the U.S. and around the world, Seva partners directly with indigenous communities to co-create eye care interventions. Indigenous partners lead conversations, sharing their knowledge, experiences, lived realities, and challenges in accessing eye care. Together, we collaborate on solutions that lead to culturally competent and lasting eye care programs.
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Glasses. Chances are better than 50% that you, dear reader, rely on something to correct your refractive error (near- or far-sightedness) like contacts, prescription glasses, or readers. You may even have a few pairs stashed in your car, office, or workshop. But in low- and middle-income countries, refractive error is the leading cause of vision impairment in both kids and adults, and glasses aren’t so accessible.
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A new Seva project in India will target babies’ and children’s needs; specifically, children’s need for eyeglasses (correcting quality refractive error), and treating Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in babies.
School-aged students will receive complete eye checkups, prescriptions, and a selection of stylish frames at their local Vision Centers. To ensure ongoing eye care there will be staff dedicated to vision monitoring and follow-up visits, as well as training a team of teachers and youth ambassadors.
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This past June, we wished Seva “original” Suzanne Gilbert a fulfilling retirement. As Senior Director of Research and Strategic Opportunities, Suzanne led Seva’s efforts to bring good science and research to the work she supported for over 47 years. Suzanne’s legacy of commitment to teaching and innovating local communities through training for excellence has been pivotal in the expansion of eye care systems now spanning the globe.
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Glasses have been part of Carole Blank’s life since she was a kid. So imagine her delight, make that astonishment, when a cataract surgery gave her 20/20 vision in one eye.
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These young activists are eager to make the world a better place. From stories to rap to athletic endeavors, these projects reflect the talent and compassion of their creators.
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Across low-and-middle-income countries, less than half of 10-year-old children can read. This alarming phenomenon has been labelled by education experts around the world as the global ‘learning crisis’: A bitter-sweet situation in which we have achieved near universal primary education, including gender parity, but in which children are not achieving sufficient mastery of basic literacy and numeracy.
Policymakers will need to use a variety of tools to address the learning deficit. One promising but under-considered intervention is hiding in plain sight: eyeglasses.
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Seva is again at the heart of a global and audacious idea. If successful, it will improve the quality of life for millions of individuals worldwide.
This summer, with Seva’s Director of Impact and Learning, Lauren Jesudason, I represented the Seva Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, as a founding member of the World Health Organization’s latest initiative, SPECS 2030. This was a chance for Seva to take a seat at the global table – once again – lending our decades of experience and goodwill to an exciting undertaking.
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One step in Quiche, Guatemala, and you’ll be met by its people’s extraordinary warmth, generosity, and kindness. One of Guatemala’s most populous departments, it’s where almost one million people from diverse indigenous Mayan communities, call home. Situated in the central highlands and surrounded by two mountain ranges, Quiche is as isolated as it is beautiful. Most rely on agriculture and textiles for their livelihood. Along with this remoteness comes poverty and a lack of services, created in the aftermath of years of civil unrest. Essential health care, including vision, is simply not a reality for the majority of people who live here.
But through science, sustainable public health infrastructure, and your support – a difference is being made.
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