Two-year-old Laurence with his parents

Living with glaucoma in Uganda

The silent thief of sight

Glaucoma is fast gaining a reputation as the ‘silent thief of sight'. This is because it develops gradually, so people are often unaware that they have it. Current research suggests around half of all people currently suffering from the disease are unaware they have the condition.

Laurence Kitimbo

Glaucoma is often linked to ageing and seen as a disease of the elderly, but it can affect people of all ages. Two-year-old Laurence Kitimbo, pictured with his parents above, was born with glaucoma in one eye. He had poor vision, tearing and his eye was swollen and larger than the other.

For the first time in his life Laurence has clear vision and he will be going to school when he turns four!"

His mother Florence, and father Patrick, who is headmaster of the Rise and Shine Nursery School in Nawandyo Village, Uganda, were understandably worried about his condition. But Laurence was lucky enough to undergo a Sightsavers supported operation to restore his sight. His parents are delighted with the result; for the first time in his life Laurence has clear vision and he will be going to school when he turns four!

Glaucoma has stolen the sight of around 4.5 million people, and affects around 60 million worldwide. The key to treating glaucoma is early diagnosis and taking regular eye tests, but in some of the countries where we work this can be quite a challenge. Surgery is the main treatment for glaucoma in the developing world, but it can also be treated with eye drops, which are not always available and laser surgery which is very expensive and only provides a temporary solution.

Click here to find out more about glaucoma.

 

Achievements

 

Achievements in Uganda

In 2010 in Uganda, we supported our partners to carry out:

• 20,739 antibiotic treatments for trachoma
• 4,955 cataract operations
• The protection of 321,521 people against river blindness