The world is waiting; waiting for something of great magnitude to happen; waiting for what few thought was ever possible; waiting for SightFirst, a Lions Clubs International Programme to aggressively reduce preventable blindness worldwide.
Without any action, experts predict that the world's blind population could double by 2020 to 74 millions and another 250 millions with low vision.
We are not talking about the man on the street or the few patients that we arrange for cataract operations at club level every now and then.
We are talking about peoples of the world. According to the World Health Organisation, river blindness has infected 17.7 millions people worldwide. Half a million are visually impaired, and another 270, 000, mostly in Africa , are irreversibly blind because of the disease.
Another estimated 84 million people are infected with trachoma and 7.6 millions are blinded from it.
The disease is prevalent in developing countries marred by poverty, poor hygiene and overcrowding.
The culprit is a bacteria which can develop on a dirty, unwashed face and spread by flies. After repeated infection, the eyelashes turn inward and rub against the cornea, leading to severe scarring and blindness.
We, as Lions, are aware that 80% of blindness is needless. If action was taken, people would not go blind or could be given their sight back.
Through SightFirst, Lions have:
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Awarded US$160 millions for 698 projects in 80 countries.
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Prevented serious vision loss in 20 millions.
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Restored sight to 4.6 million with cataract.
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Improved eye care services for hundreds of millions.
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Provided 60 millions treatments for river blindness.
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Built or expanded 207 eye hospitals/clinics/wards and upgraded 314 others with equipment.
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Provided management training for 92 facilities.
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Trained more than 83,500 ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, other professional eye care workers, village health workers and others.
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Launched world's first-ever global initiative to combat childhood blindness in partnership with the World Health Organisation. Thirty paediatric eye care centres will be established.
It's hard to grasp the full value of SightFirst. Numbers are impressive but they are faceless.
A number is not your child, mother, father or neighbour.
But those helped through SightFirst are someone's child, someone's mother or father.
Also, restoring vision or preventing blindness means so much more than just being able to see a loved one or view a sunset, drive a car to watch a movie. It means a greater ability to work, to provide for your family, to contribute to society.
Lions today can take enormous pride in knowing that their service and financial generosity have prevented blindness in millions.
The fund for SightFirst is almost exhausted but our journey to reduce preventable blindness worldwide is never ending.
We need the funds and Campaign SightFirst II was therefore launched at the 88 th International Convention in Hong Kong to raise USD$150 millions over the next 3 years.
In District 308-A2, B1 & B2 our Campaign SightFirst II Coordinators are targeting to raise only USD$2 millions over the next 3 years. Clearly this is not impossible.
With some 6,250 members in District 308-A2, B1 & B2 contributing USD$107 each per year, we would get the USD$2 millions.
Fellow Lions, friends, ladies and gentlemen, I am now absolutely delighted and honoured to launch the Campaign SightFirst II in our District today and I strongly urge you to support Campaign SightFirst II; any amount, no matter big or small will help.
Thank you. |