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All smiles! Samuel Yowasi, nine, (far right) with his family in Naibowa village, Uganda. © Tugela Ridley / Sightsavers

All smiles! Samuel Yowasi, nine, (far right) with his family in Naibowa village, Uganda. © Tugela Ridley / Sightsavers

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Reaching more children

A simple pink card has the potential to revolutionise diagnosis of children with eye conditions in Uganda.

The Ministry of Health runs twice yearly ‘Child Days,' where school children are immunised, given vitamin A and de-worming treatment. Since April 2009 Sightsavers managed to get eye screening added to the bill, and trained teachers in how to spot eye problems.

Any child identified is given a pink card detailing the issue in layman's terms (for example ‘white spot on eye' and ‘tearing'). The card is presented at a health centre, and it guarantees the child special attention - in a health system that can involve a three month waiting time before diagnosis and treatment.

Nine-year-old Samuel Yowasi was one of the first children identified through the Child Days. His teacher issued him with a pink card and he was later diagnosed with ptosis, a drooping of the eyelid preventing him from seeing properly. This has now been rectified with an operation (supported by Sightsavers) and he is back at school, where his favourite subjects are maths and science.

'I was pleased when Samuel had his operation. It made me think the training I had was effective'

John, Samuel's teacher at Nakalanga Primary School, received training from an ophthalmic clinical officer. As a science teacher he found it really interesting to learn about the eye, and said it helped improve his lessons! A real advocate for the pioneering pink card system, he says: "I was pleased when Samuel had his operation. It made me think the training I had was effective. I did what they told me and it worked."

This project is a pilot, which if successful will be adopted by the Ugandan Government and rolled out throughout the rest of the country, increasing the number of children with eye conditions who are identified and referred for treatment. It's a fantastic example of an initiative that is integrated into an existing health system, which we have found to be the most effective way of working.