The new vision therapy service at the Ophthalmology Centre of the Bachir Saleh National Hospital has meant a great step forward in ophthalmological care for children in the Sahrawi refugee camps, significantly improving the quality of life and academic performance of children and adolescents with visual difficulties.
It is a process of re-education and training of the visual system to improve skills such as focusing, eye coordination and spatial perception. An optometrist specialising in paediatric care carries out a complete assessment of the child’s visual function, designs a personalised treatment plan and supervises the vision therapy sessions and their progression.
Currently, 12 children are being treated and undergoing specific exercises to improve their visual functions. In addition to the therapy sessions at the clinic, the optometrist also trains the families so that they can continue to practice the exercises in their haima. As the therapy progresses, regular follow-ups are carried out to assess progress and make any necessary adjustments.
It is very important to detect eye problems as early as possible in order to treat and correct them. This is also why, during the first quarter of the year, eye examinations were carried out in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and Koranic schools in the wilayas of Aaiun, Auserd and Boujdour. A total of 8,457 children (57% girls) were attended to, of whom 324 were referred to the consultations for a more exhaustive examination, as they presented vision problems.
This Eyes of the Sahara project is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).