Project to cut blindness in children
The WHO has announced a project to prevent blindness in children that will be initially funded by a donation of US$3.75m (€3.75m) from the Lions Clubs International Foundation. The strategy would include immunisation against measles and rubella, improving supplies of vitamin A, supplying prophylaxes against eye diseases in babies, (including gonococcal infection), and deterring the use of harmful eye medicines.
The five-year project will fund training of health personnel in the prevention, early detection and treatment of blindness in 30 developing countries. An estimated 1.5m children currently live with blindness, said the WHO.