Eye examinations in 40 schools in Mali

In a complex context, with security problems and limitations of all kinds, bringing eye care to the most vulnerable populations in the Mopti region is a real challenge. For this reason, Eyes of the world plans in great detail the coordination and management of campaigns to reach the largest possible number of girls and boys, with the aim of improving the early detection of visual problems and their subsequent referral and treatment.

The latest screening campaigns have focused on the districts of Douentza and Djenné, where 40 educational centres have been selected to identify refractive errors and low vision. The campaigns are carried out by Ophthalmic Medical Assistants (OMA) with the support of specialised equipment that enables visual acuity to be assessed and ocular anomalies to be detected. So far, 20 schools have already been visited (seven in Douentza, three in Boni, seven in Djenné and three in Sofara), and the vision of 6,012 girls and 5,819 boys has been examined.

The most common cases are myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. There are also conditions such as allergic conjunctivitis and early symptoms of glaucoma.

This Eyes of Mali project is supported by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.