In partnership with Instituto Damos Vision (IDV) and with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Child Blindness Program, HelpMeSee is launching a comprehensive effort to identify and eliminate cases of paediatric cataract blindness in Peru. Over half of all blindness in Peru results from cataracts, mostly because of a shortage of necessary care. The joint project between HelpMeSee, IDV and USAID will expand both screening and care for children affected by cataract blindness.

IDV is a private non-profit organisation that focuses its efforts on children up to 14 years old from the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of Peru.

HelpMeSee is a global campaign to end cataract blindness, the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

“We are proud to be part of USAID’s Child Blindness Program, especially in Peru where thousands remain needlessly blind from this condition,” said Dr. Van Charles Lansingh, HelpMeSee’s medical officer for Latin America. “Through the remarkable work of our partners at El Instituto Damos Visión we will be able to address one of Peru’s most critical health issues.”

Outreach and screening technologies developed by HelpMeSee will be used for the first time in Peru to assist community health agents and facilitate access to care. These include HelpMeSee Reach, a smartphone app that includes a Global Positioning and Patient Information System and integrates with Google’s Android platform to improve health evaluation and screening. Dozens of community health agents and volunteers in the region of IDV will be trained in this technology and work on the ground to identify patients in need.

“USAID’s Child Blindness Program (usaid.gov/childblindness) is excited to provide support to HelpMeSee and their innovative and far reaching work in Peru,” said Liliana Riva, programme manager of the USAID Child Blindness Program. “Our grant process is highly competitive with each project fully vetted for organisational competency and project effectiveness. We are thrilled HelpMeSee is joining us as a key collaborator in our global efforts to reduce avoidable blindness in children and vulnerable populations.”

Though many countries in Latin America, including Peru, have increased their access to eye care in recent years, resources in many lower income areas remain low. The pilot will be led on the ground by staff members from HelpMeSee and IDV near Peru’s capital of Lima. Data gathered by the pilot project will allow local medical staff to measure the backlog of those who need surgery and ensure that they receive timely attention and follow-up care. It will also be used to develop a national database of paediatric blindness cases.

Through funding from the Child Blindness Program at USAID, this programme is made possible with the generous support of the American people.

Through quality, innovative programmes, USAID is preventing and treating blindness, restoring sight and providing eyeglasses to thousands of people in the poorest communities of the world. CBP features prominently in USAID’s approach to eliminate blindness worldwide.