Noor Dubai Foundation Mobile Eye Camp in Bangladesh

Noor Dubai Foundation organized its first Mobile Eye Camp of 2019 at the Narail, Khulna District in Bangladesh in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), where 5000 people benefitted through the program’s activities which include screening and providing diagnosis and health care, conducting surgeries, and distributing spectacles during each camp.

Noor Dubai Foundation is a UAE based charity launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2008 , to become one of the institutions supporting the World Vision's Vision 2020 combating the causes of blindness by 2020. Noor Dubai has a number of preventive and curative programs in which 27 million people have benefited from its programs around the world.

Since the launch of the Mobile Eye Camp program in 2008, Noor Dubai has organized 6 Mobile Eye Camps in Bangladesh, where they have provided medical and diagnostic services to over 35,000 patients, conducted over 4,000 surgeries, and distributed 11,000 eye glasses.

"Globally, around 253 million people suffer from visual impairment, 80% of it is curable or avoidable. About 750,000 people in Bangladesh are suffering from blindness. Around 1.5 million children in Bangladesh are suffering from low vision, which can be treated. Around 250,000 people in Bangladesh risk losing their eyesight because of chronic illnesses such as diabetic retinopathy. " said Dr Manal Taryam, CEO and Board Member of Noor Dubai Foundation.

“ We hope to multiply our efforts in Bangladesh by expanding our activities into more long term programs to include human resource development and infrastructure improvements. We have been instructed by our wise leadership to spare no effort in delivering help to those in need.” added Dr. Taryam

In addition to providing treatment and preventive programs, the mobile eye camps aim to empower communities. Providing the appropriate treatment to those individuals in need results in a significant positive impact both on the personal level for those individuals receiving treatment in addition to an improved economic state for the whole community, as these individuals are able to get back to their jobs and lives, leading to an improved social and economic condition.

“Cataracts are the most common causes of curable blindness worldwide followed by refractive errors. We can perform surgery to remove cataracts in our eye camp, reversing the visual impairment. Studies have shown that cataract surgery can contribute to poverty alleviation, particularly among the most vulnerable members of society. Cataract surgery improves the health-related quality of life )HRQoL( of the individual and economy of the household. The findings of this study suggest these benefits are sustained in the long term. “ added Dr. Taryam

To date, Noor Dubai Foundation has organized camps in 32 cities in 17 countries where 263,438 individuals have been screened, 26,600 surgeries have been performed and 62,034 glasses provided.

This camp in Bangladesh was supported by DEWA, as part of their humanitarian efforts during the Year of Tolerance. Joining Noor Dubai staff, were 11 male and female volunteers from DEWA, ambassadors of the UAE and the culture of giving.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, commended Noor Dubai’s efforts to implement pioneering projects to treat eye diseases for the needy around the world. He also praised DEWA’s employees who volunteered for the camp.

HE Saed Mohammed Al Muhairi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Bangladesh, said, "Under the directives of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, the UAE Embassy in the People's Republic of Bangladesh in coordination with UAE humanitarian and developmental NGOs have provided aid and support to the people of Bangladesh through coordinated work with the government of Bangladesh, the embassy worked closely with several international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide support to the Rohingya refugees exceeding AED 24 million , and continues to work closely with the government to provide more. The embassy expresses its gratitude to Noor Dubai Foundation for their efforts and charitable activities in Bangladesh since 2008”.