Zambia
Capital: Lusaka
Language: English &
eight regional languages
Estimated population: 14,309,466
The Problem:
10% of Africa’s blind children live in Zambia.
Ranking at number 164 out of 182 on the United Nations Human Development Index, Zambia is a poor country. Eye health care is scarce, particularly for more complex needs of children, even though 46.7% are under the age of 14.*
The World Bank has estimated 78% of its citizens live in poverty. Blindness would be a further burden on a person, their family and their community.
ORBIS and Eye Health in Zambia:
ORBIS has been developing child eye health services in Zambia since 2010, opening a paediatric eye care centre within the eye department of Kitwe Central Hospital.
This is the only facility in the country that is equipped and staffed to treat and care for children with complex sight problems, while it has an official catchment area of 6 million people from surrounding provinces, it is has become a referral point for the whole country and beyond.
The Flying Eye Hospital has touched down for its first ever visit to the country, providing further training & treatment, with a particular focus on the Cataracts, Glaucoma and Strabismus.
< Back to the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital Timeline
*Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/zambia/demographics_profile.html.
