Part 2: The End is in Sight
River blindness causes relentless itching and blindness, affecting the poorest communities in the world.
NOTE: This film contains disturbing images of eye surgery and human suffering that some people may find upsetting. This film is not suitable for children.
“The End is in Sight” profiles the work under way in Africa to eliminate trachoma and river blindness; two neglected diseases that can cause irreversible blindness if left untreated.
River blindness
River blindness is a fly-borne parasitic infection that affects the poorest communities who live in the most rural communities in the world. It causes terrible itching, skin changes, and blindness that devastate communities.
When it comes to the work I'm doing I feel that I've touched many lives, touched people who have never been reached. And so that gives me the inner satisfaction. Emotionally I am at home, I am at peace.
In Uganda, Dr. Moses Katabarwa has been working on a revolutionary way of distributing medication that would improve the lives of many of his countrymen.
His idea was simple: let people in small communities take control of distributing their own sight-saving medicine. It was met by government opposition but was eventually tested and is proving to be successful.
This inspired approach has meant that in Uganda, river blindness is being eliminated one area at a time, and Katabarwa’s method is being extended to other countries plagued by the disease.
LIFELINES profiles the extraordinary work of global health workers in their quest to rid the world of the deadly, neglected diseases and conditions that keep millions of people in poverty.
Lifelines: The Quest for Global Health can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Thursday: 2000; Friday: 1200; Saturday: 0100; Sunday: 0600; Monday: 2000; Tuesday: 1200; Wednesday 0100 |
