More than 80% of people in South Africa affected by vision impairment live in rural areas, where access to specialist diagnostic and treatment services is limited. At the 2023 Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA) conference, which ran from 8 to 11 March, medical volunteering organisation Tshemba Foundation shared their plans to address this issue – by kickstarting a blindness prevention programme at Tintswalo Hospital in rural Acornhoek, Mpumalanga. Medical Director Professor John Gear spoke to eNCA about the programme – click here to watch the interview.
eNCA coverage: Preventing blindness in rural communities
