The Elena Barraquer Foundation has just returned from its expedition to Guatemala where it carried out the #NoMásCataratas project, made possible in large part thanks to the new collaboration agreement signed with the Sacyr Foundation.
The #NoMásCataratas Guatemala project has three objectives: to operate on cataract patients who do not have the resources to afford surgery, to reduce the burden of avoidable blindness in vulnerable communities, and to generate a direct impact on people's quality of life, giving them back their independence and ability to work and care for their families. It also provides training for local staff.
In Guatemala, thousands of people live in poverty and lack access to specialized ophthalmological services. Cataract is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the country and mainly affects low-income people, preventing them from working, studying or caring for their families.
Normally, a medical team of about 10 professionals (eye surgeons, instrumentalists, anesthesiologists, optometrists and volunteers) is deployed to select the patients. During five working days, 500 surgeries are performed, with 4,400 indirect beneficiaries who will be relieved of the burden of caring for a visually impaired limb.
Upcoming expeditions include destinations such as Senegal, Sri Lanka, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Botswana, Mauritania, Benin and El Salvador.