A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens which is the clear part of the eye helps to focus light, or an image on the retina. There is a blurred vision in the eye with cataract, according to scales of cataract, this loss of sight can be rise. The cataract, a cause of the blindness, that is faced frequently all over the world, is a loss of sight that can be treated.

The most important cause of the cataract is old age. Widely cataract is seen especially after age of 60 and loss of vision rises with the growing age. Other causes of cataract are the eye trauma, sunlight exposure, dietary protein deficiency, some eye disaeses and some eye operation, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, using cortisone medicines for a long time, radiotherapy, dietary antioxidant deficiency and alcohol. The most important factors of congenital cataract are; a pregnant woman having disease such as a measles, using some medicine or being exposed x-ray during the pregnancy; and genetic heritage of the baby’s anomalies of chromosomes.

So many people lost their sight ability at their young age because of hot weather, malnutrition and climatic conditions in Africa. When the lack of oculist is added these causes, many sick people, especially in rural areas, can’t be operated and they live in darkness.

Cloudy or blurry vision, dazzled, colours seem faded, double vision or multiple images in one eye, poor night vision, loss of profoundity, reading complication, colour separation complication, miyopia, on high stage very few view along with consisting of whiteness on popil of the eye. If cataract doesn’t be treated on time, it will be rise. On this case, the sick person can just see the light and the direction of light but he becomes to loss the ability to see images.

A cataract is not only proper to old people but also it can be seen on babies and children.

Mostly, cataract affects both in eyes. Sometimes it occur in both eyes, rises together in both eyes and causes both in eyes affected equally. Sometimes it occurs, only in one eye.

Its developing rate changes from person to person. It can also change between two eyes. It can be rise slowly in years on some people. But it can be rise quickly on diabetic people and in this stuation cataract can be rise both in eyes.

Being careful about the injuring, bewaring of using of cortisone medicines, repairing of nutritional deficiency conditions can prevent cataract a little.

A cataract’s treatment is surgical; there is no alternative treatment to surgical operation.

If a person can’t see clearly, has rising eye tension because of cataract or has any eye disease such as an inflammation caused cataract in his eyes, then this person must promptly has cataract surgery.

The cataract surgery is made in 15 minutes by phaco that is modern cataract surgery. There are some technical differences between children or aged sick people’s cataract surgeries, along with in cataract surgery, a small incision is made on the side of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye.

The target number is 100.000 and every single eye that will reach the light is important for us.

The campaign will continue yearlong. The last joining date to the campaign is April 2008 but health activities will be continued by IHH consistently.

There are our volunteer’s donations beside medical equipments and volunteer doctors’ support.

The campaign of IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation is still running on 10 African countries. These are Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, Benin, Togo and Chad.

The cataract surgery’s cost changes from country to country and this operation can be made with the average cost which is 100 YTL (New Turkish Liras).

The cost of a cataract surgery is 100 YTL but donations, less than this amount, will be combined and it will help eyes to see the light.

Thanks. Please contact with us and give us your contact information using this number: +0090 (212) 631 21 21

You can contact with Yaşar Kutluay about this subject through IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation’s number: +0090 (212) 631 21 21.

Yes, you can.

You can speak with people about IHH along with, you can want our bag stuffers and introductory materials to call our department of volunteer management from +090(212) 631 21 21 (extension line 164).

There is no age limite. Africans and cataract patients in some Asian countries will benefit from this campaign. These ages will be decided according to the region’s requirements.

You can join the campaign by donating IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation.

1. You can make your donation by coming IHH central office.
2. You can use our online donation system through the internet
3. You can invest your donation to the IHH’s bank account numbers that is in our site.
4. You can send your donations to the IHH postal cheque account {slide}