WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP)– “There is so much blindness, and it can be avoided today, with the present-day cost-effective means . I could not have said this 25 years ago. Combating childhood blindness has been identified by the World Bank as the most cost-effective health intervention. 80% of learning comes through vision. If the child misses the chance , he suffers for the rest of his life -almost 75 years of life. With a very little investment we can give a child 75 years of productive life.”

Dr. V. K. Raju, President of the Eye Foundation of America which has set for itself the goal to have a world without childhood blindness was speaking on the tragedy of childhood blindness at the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Indian American International Chamber of Commerce at the Ronald Reagan Center for International Trade in Washington, D.C. March 31.

Giving an impressive presentation on childhood blindness, Dr. Raju said that there are many conditions that cause blindness in children. They can be born with cataracts . They can be born with cloudy corneas. They can be born with glaucoma that is high blood pressure in the eye and various other abnormalities . If we catch them early, incredible things can be done today which we could not do 20 or 25 years ago.

My work started in 1977 at eye camps. We took some great technology in 70s and 80s to India which was not available at that time in India. Since ‘91, Indian ophthalmology has advanced because of liberalization and privatization. Some of the children we operated on went on to finish college.

The greatest story I would like to share with you is about Srinu Maddula . At the age of one and a half year, he was almost blind because of corneal cloudiness . Cornea is the front of the eye like a crystal of a watch. We brought him here to Morgantown in West Virginia. We performed corneal transplants on both eyes and he went on to finish doctorate in pharmacy from Rutgers University. He is the CEO of a multimillion-dollar retail pharmacy company. He never forgot what he received from the Eye Foundation of America. He is one of the greatest patrons of the Eye Foundation of America, which is involved in more than 30 countries to combat childhood blindness. Real collaboration is the key for any major thing to happen in this world. We need political will, professional will , and people’s will. If they combine, anything can be achieved.

In this century, we eradicated polio from the planet because of Rotary involvement. Rotary international brought together the political will, the professional will, and people’s will. Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

The Eye Foundation screened and examined over 4 million individuals and performed more than 300,000 surgeries of which 30,000 were on children in 30 countries of the world. Giving vision to children is priceless. It cannot be measured in monetary terms. Let’s come together to have a world which is free from childhood blindness. Dr. Raju’s impassioned plea was very well taken by the audience. IAICC leaders expressed a desire to collaborate with the Eye Foundation of America.

Incidentally, after India and neighboring countries and Africa, Dr. Raju is bending his attention to Central America. He goes to Guatemala later this month to hold eye examination camps there on the invitation of India’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Mr. Manoj Mohapatra who is very keen to have Dr. Raju help out Guatemalans.

For more information on the Eye Foundation of America, please visit www.eyefoundationofamerica.org