This World Diabetes Day, it’s important to draw attention to how diabetes can affect eyesight, particularly in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). One in three people in the OPT have diabetes, and diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in Gaza.
This video, shared by our team in Gaza, shows the vital work they are doing to combat the effects of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina), which can lead to blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated.
We learn from Dr Ahmad Al Halimi, SJEHG’s Gaza Medical Lead, and Walid Shaqoura, SJEHG’s Gaza Hospital Manager, about the need for Avastin injections to combat diabetic retinopathy. Since the start of the war, Avastin treatment has not been available for most Gazans, and there is a huge need and demand as the longer treatment is delayed, the worse the condition becomes. We also hear from displaced patients in Gaza about the essential need for these injections, such as Mahmoud, who was struggling to read and write before his first dose of Avastin.
Phase 2 of our ongoing Saving Sight in Gaza Appeal is focused on high-impact medical intervention for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and preventable blindness, with an estimated cost of £495,000.
In total, we need to raise £6 million over the next 12 months to re-establish eye care facilities in conflict-torn Gaza, and we can’t do it without your help. Your donations have a profound impact on saving sight and transforming lives in one of the world’s most challenging regions.
As Dr Ahmad Ma’ali, SJEHG CEO, says: “After all, it is hard to look to a future if you cannot see.”
You can find out more about the appeal and donate here.