Blind faith in Papua New Guinea

Theresia sat alone in her garden in Silanga in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, while her family worked in the oil palm plantation. Every morning she was carried downstairs by her son or daughter, put in the shade with food for the day, then left there until they returned at sunset. This was her life as it had been for the past four years, since her cataracts had left her completely blind.

In April though, her grandson came running home from school with exciting news. His school had been visited by a community health worker who performed a play and invited all the school children to bring their blind grandparents and villagers back to school the next day. They had been told transport had been arranged to take them on a five hour trip to have an operation so they could see again.

The thought of such a trip was frightening for Theresia, as not only did it involve crossing swollen rivers, but she would have to stay away from her family for the next two nights. However, this frail and tiny 70-year-old grandmother, and her blind friend, embarked on the journey, which would ultimately change their lives. It took faith and courage, but Theresia was desperate to put an end to the lonely, isolated and demeaning existence that her disability had forced upon her.

Such a life is not uncommon in Papua New Guinea, where over 50,000 people are blind, and, like Theresia, most are simply in need of cataract surgery. The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ's PNG eye nurse trainer, Lindsay Dewhurst, says she has seen old blind people with bowed legs simply because they have sat cross legged under their houses for so many years. The distance from nearest health centres, and the severe shortage of eye doctors and nurses, means fewer than 2000 people a year have the chance to do what Theresia was bravely undertaking.

Once down at the Valoka Health Centre Theresia was examined by Lindsay and arrangements were made for her to receive immediate cataract surgery from The Foundation's training team.

Theresia's delicate frame was helped onto the operating table and for the next 30 minutes she lay rigidly while one of her blinding cataracts was removed. She was given a mattress on which to sleep until the following morning, when her eye patch was removed.

A massive smile of joy and relief, followed by tears of happiness, filled Theresia's wizened face. She began dancing and laughing, and left the health centre with no fear at all to face her return journey home. Her days of solitude and exclusion are over.

• Papua New Guinea is the poorest country in the Pacific, with over half the population of nearly six million living on less than $1 per day.
• At least 50,000 in PNG are blind, and an additional 10,000 cases occur each year.
• A further 180,000 have poor vision that could be corrected with spectacles.
• Cataract is the main cause of blindness, followed by refractive error, corneal diseases and trauma. All these conditions can be treated.
• There are only seven fully trained PNG eye surgeons, and another three undertaking training. These doctors all work in main urban centres but 80% of people live in isolated rural communities.