PROJECT VISION
The World Health Organization estimates that 180 million people suffer from severe visual impairment (legally blind, by U.S.standards). The leading cause of blindness throughout the world is cataracts, and 90% of this blindness is found in the developing world.
Honduras is the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In the Honduras Southwest reside the poorest of their poor. Seventy percent of Hondurans over 50 years of age have cataracts. Most reside in the Southwest. There 45,000 potential cataract patients there. We are just beginning. If you, a member of your family, or one of your friends has had cataract surgery, we don't need to impress you with the value of sight-restoring surgery. Here in the U.S. the average cost per eye is $2038.00.
For just
10% of this cost, a "tithe,” so-to-speak, KHISH will identify you
individually to our Honduran poorly-sighted brothers or sisters. For $204
dollars you can restore the vision in one eye for an older Honduran. For $
408 you can make him or her totally sighted by funding the cost of cataract
surgery for both eyes. These are suggested target donations.
KHISH has, for 5 years, successfully pioneered to
bring medical and dental care to some of the very many needy in the Southwest of
Honduras. We are expanding our
mission.
We are partnering with See International and Centro Cristiano de Servicios Humanitario de Honduras (The Christian Center for Humanitarian Services of Honduras) to provide cataract surgeries for the people of Southwest Honduras. See International has perfected MSICS (manual small incision cataract surgery) for third world countries. Together we will bring the miracle of sight to some the most needy in the South.
We are pleased to announce our schedule for the first set of surgeries this coming January at Hospital San Lorenzo :
Cataract Screening October-December 2010 -- 500 Potential Cataract
Patients
• Phase II
January 3-7 2011 Cataract Surgery For 40 Patients-8/day
• Phase III
Follow-up January 8-22 2011
http://www.ccshh.org/Default.aspx?lang=en&page=home
http://www.seeintl.org/ophthalmologists/calendar.asp
