2005-2006 Annual Report - The International Eye Foundation

SightReach® Prevention
3
Childhood Blindness and Vitamin A Deficiency Control
IEF and Malawi’s Ministry of Health have brought sight and life-saving help to the people in the southern
region where food is scarce, health care is limited, and villagers struggle to feed their families.
Children under age 5 years, the most vulnerable, and their mothers have benefited from IEF’s child
survival program. Funded in part by USAID, vitamin A coverage increased from 49% to over 85% of
eligible children 6-59 months of age. Measles immunization coverage increased from 64% to 91%. Over
150 communities have received thousands of insecticide treated bed nets to prevent malaria.
IEF helps ophthalmologists and medical staff at our partner eye hospitals to provide better care for children with
cataracts, eye infections, injuries, and congenital diseases that lead to blindness. Thanks to your
support, we are expanding specialty eye care services for children and getting the specialized
equipment needed to operate on tiny eyes. Optical services introduced by IEF get glasses for children in
rural areas who would not get them otherwise.
Onchocerciasis—prevention of “river blindness”
IEF has over 16 years experience in onchocerciasis control having established the first “communitybased”
Mectizan Distribution Programs in Africa and Latin America. In 2006, IEF together with the
National Onchocerciasis Programs in Malawi and Cameroon treated over 2 million people with their
annual dose of Mectizan®. Support from the Insel Foundation and the International Foundation are
ensuring that the threat of blindness is eliminated for millions because they will continue to get this
miracle drug each year.