156 w h y c h i l d r e n l o s e t h e i r v i s i o n a n d w h a t w e c a n d o
Why did Kesi lose her sight?
There are several
causes:
father dies
– family
very poor
The rest of the chapter can help you
learn about the medical causes and
treatments for sight problems. But
to prevent blindness, communities
must do something about the social
causes that medicine cannot fix.
stops
breast-
feeding
early
not
enough
money for
nutritious
food
not
knowing
about
foods with
vitamin A
Causes of blindness and eye problems
Child blindness is usually caused by poor nutrition or
infection. Many children go blind because:
• they do not have enough food, or their food does
not give them the vitamins they need to keep their
eyes healthy
• in crowded living conditions, disease and infection
spread from person to person
• in communities where garbage and human waste
are in the open, flies and other insects spread
infection that can also cause blindness
• traditional medicines are misused, making
infections worse (see page 165)
These problems cannot be solved by one person
working alone. But people can work together to build
latrines, get rid of garbage, and find ways to grow
the food they need to stay healthy (see page 168). If
communities work together, most blindness in children
can be prevented.
no money
for doctor
–treatment
is delayed
How can your child
eat enough foods with
vitamin A if you cannot
afford to buy them? Some
communities grow small
vegetable gardens so they
can prevent blindness in
their children.
Kesi’s eye swells,
oozes liquid,
dries out
Kesi loses sight in left eye.
helping children who are blind