Haseena Bibi, A 61 year old belong to a poor family in district Chitral. She is a housewife and live in a small house, her husband work in the field on daily wages.
A few years ago, Haseena eyes started itching and she felt pain in her eyes. She thought it’s a seasonal changes effect and she ignored the issue. With the passage of time the pain in her eyes were increasing day by day but she didn’t consult with a doctor due to her poor financial condition. She has no option to live with this pain and itching eyes and also with the pus in the eyes in the morning. Haseena Bibi faced lots of difficulties and pain while cooking, washing clothes and exposing to the light and slowly her vision was also decreasing. Haseena was so hopeless and disheartened with her eyes pain and vision
One day the The Trachoma Elimination Project team visited her area and after screening she was diagnosed with Trachoma Trichriases (TT) in both of her eyes. Haseena was advised for surgery and was also informed about that this surgery will be provided to her free of cost. She agreed for the surgery and her surgery was performed successfully.
After surgery Haseena was charmed with Joy that her pain and itching has gone after years. She was very thankful to the Trachoma Elimination Project field team and its donors for reaching her and providing her free surgery.
“I am so happy that now I can live a normal life without continuous pain in eyes. I was living a miserable life with itching and pain in my eyes, I couldn’t stop itching my eyes all the time and was scared of light as light exposure increased pain. ”
The Fred Hollows Foundation has welcomed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) validation that Pakistan has eliminated the eye disease trachoma as a public health problem.
The Foundation, with the support of the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Heads of Government and the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), has helped drive the final push to eliminating the disease in Pakistan.
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. The disease thrives in areas where the water is scarce, and sanitation is poor.
The infection is easily spread through personal contact and by flies that have been in contact with people’s eyes or noses. It disproportionately affects mothers and children severely limiting their economic productivity and education outcomes.
The Fred Hollows Foundation CEO Ian Wishart congratulated the government and partners for working collectively to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem.
“Since 2015, The Fred Hollows Foundation has led trachoma initiatives in Pakistan in partnership with the Ministry of Health Government of Pakistan and provincial health departments with the support of CBM and Sightsavers.
“This is a significant achievement that is only made possible through cooperation and collaboration from local through to international partners.
“The Government of Pakistan has played a leading role in driving trachoma elimination activities and ensuring we reach the most remote areas of the country.”
The Foundation’s Pakistan Country Manager Farooq Awan said trachoma elimination efforts included extensive mapping of affected areas, mass drug administration and surgeries to treat people in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan provinces.
“Trachoma is the latest infectious disease to be eliminated from Pakistan after Smallpox and Guinea Worm in the early 1990s and Dracunculiasis in 1993.
“Pakistan’s journey to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem demonstrates that by working in partnership at the global and local levels, we can deliver results that have a lasting impact on people’s quality of life and wellbeing,” he said.
“Since 2015, The Fred Hollows Foundation has led trachoma initiatives in Pakistan in partnership with the Ministry of Health Government of Pakistan and provincial health departments with the support of CBM and Sightsavers.
Images Credit: The Fred Hollows Foundation
