London Vision Clinic and Ending Preventable Blindness: Nepal

According to recent data, around 43 million people around the world are blind, with an additional 295 million people living with moderate-to-severe visual impairment. A staggering 77% of these cases are preventable or treatable. The leading cause of vision impairment and blindness is cataracts, closely followed by uncorrected refractive error. In many of these cases, simple interventions such as glasses or cataract surgery are all that is needed to correct an individuals vision.

Nepal is among the countries most affected by vision loss, with age-standardised prevalence estimated at 27%. Cataracts is by far the leading cause of blindness and mild-to-moderate vision impairment in Nepal, yet access to effective treatment remains extremely limited. Moreover, while 20% of the population would benefit from glasses, only 6% have access to them.

These figures highlight the ongoing need to establish and improvement access pathways for sight-saving procedures and visual aids to people across Nepal. Since the official launch of the London Vision Clinic Foundation in 2010, we have been committed to contributing to this important goal.

To this end, we initially focused our efforts on two key projects: the establishment of a Refractive Surgery Unit in Kathmandu and a clinic offering cataract surgery in the southern city of Birgunj, along the Indian border.

The Launch of the London Vision Clinic Foundation

Cataracts and refractive errors remain the leading causes of poor vision and blindness worldwide. That’s why, when we launched the London Vision Clinic Foundation back in 2010, we joined forces with the Himalayan Cataract project – an initiative dedicated to addressing this issue in Nepal.

The first step for us in this mission was the establishment of Nepal’s first Laser Eye Surgery centre. From this medical centre, we would aim to provide the same world-class standards as we are dedicated to at our Harley Street clinic in London. This was achieved througho ur partnership with the Tilganga Institute of Opthalmology in Kathmandu.

Dr Kishore Raj Pradhan, Head of the Refractive Surgery Unit at the Tilganga Institute, trained for nine months at our clinic in London: “I wanted to learn every part of the process, as it is done at London Vision Clinic, from the ground to the top of the tree,” Dr Pradhan said of his time with us.

We ensured that the Refractive Surgery Unit (RSU) at Tilganga had the best possible technology to complement Dr Pradhan’s training. We equipped the clinic with Electronic Medical Records and trained all the staff, so that from day one they could provide a world-class service with outstanding clinical results.

In addition to providing superb clinical outcomes, we wanted the RSU to function as a sustainable unit, with all profits being invested back into Tilganga to accommodate treatment of more patients. Between opening in January 2012 and 2020, the RSU team produced eight peer-reviewed research papers and treated over 5,000 patients, all while setting the standard for refractive surgery in developing countries.

From Harley Street to the Himalayas

Alongside establishing the Refractive Surgery Unit at the Tilganga Institute, the London Vision Clinic Foundation also helped to fund free eye camps. At these camps, teams of surgeons, organised by the Tilganga Institute, visit communities across Nepal – even in the remotest areas of the country where treatment would ordinarily be out of reach. Through this initiative, thousands of people have been screened and hundreds have received treatment to restore their vision.

For many, this can mean a significant improvement in quality of life. Being able to see clearly again can improve employment opportunities, but it also has a touching human element. In the cases of some individuals, refractive treatment means seeing their loved ones for the first time in years. Dr Pradhan recalls his own first-hand experience: “We witnessed women seeing their grandchildren for the first time. Breastfeeding mothers who had never before seen what their babies looked like. Even husbands seeing their wives for the first time in years saying ‘Oh, you’ve become older!’”

What else has the London Vision Clinic Foundation been working on?

Having worked with Dr Pradhan for many years through our partnership with the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, we were interested in working with him on another project. As the leading cause of avoidable blindness in Nepal, we wanted to do more to address the impact of cataracts.

Blindness can have a significant effect on life expectancy, with those affected having an increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with normal vision or mild vision impairment. As part of our mission to eradicate preventable blindness and vision loss, we partnered with Dr Pradhan’s charity, the Matrika Eye Foundation to establish a cataract clinic in the busy trading hub of Birgunj, on the Nepali border with India.

The Matrika Eye Foundation

The Matrika Eye Foundation provides cataract surgery to the local people of Birgunj – whether they can afford it or not. Between 2018, when the clinic was opened, and 2020, thousands of people were screened for cataracts at the Matrika clinic, and over 2,000 cataract surgeries were performed.

The London Vision Clinic Foundation raises money for this project through teaching. Twice a year we invite surgeons from around the world (surgeons from over 30 different countries have attended) to learn from Professor Dan Reinstein, Glenn Carp and the rest of our clinical team. The course runs for four days and a portion of the proceeds from the courses are sent to the Matrika Eye Foundation to continue our work in Birgunj. You can find out more on their website, here.

If you’d like to learn more about the work done by the London Vision Clinic Foundation, or the treatments offered at our Harley Street Clinic, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators today. alternatively, Book a Consultation to find out how we could help improve your vision.