Blind to Eye Care in Pakistan
Introduction
The United Nations as created an agenda for 2030. Within this agenda, there are seventeen sustainable developmental goals (SDG) that aim to transform our world. These goals are to be met through numerous different means: government policies, public change, non-government organizations (NGO), and a variety of other ways. NGO’s are a large way to help meet these goals and impact the world for the better. LRBT, an NGO that focuses on eye care for those who live in Pakistan, concentrates on meeting the goal, ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing for all at all ages (UN, 2016; WHO, 2016). Ensuring eye care for the residents of Pakistan not only provides them with care they should be subject to always, but …show more content…
In Pakistan over half of the incidences of blindness were caused by cataracts; over three quarters of these cases being treatable (Shab et al., 2008). With the work LRBT has done over the past thirty years, they have created a supportive environment for the residents of Pakistan. Helping reduce the prevalence of blindness in Pakistan by almost fifty percent (LRBT, 2016). Many of their projects have a heavier focus on rural communities, where there are more vision issues, because these rural communities have higher population age (Jadoon et al., 2006). In the rural area of Pakistan the greatest challenge of living a healthy life is access to health care, poverty and government policy. With a focus on access LRBT has spread their clinics throughout Pakistan over their four provinces, resulting in no Pakistani being more than a three hour bus ride away from an LRBT facility (LRBT, 2016). Establishing access for these people to allow them to have eye care free of charge is how LRBT is helping to meet the United Nation’s goal to have health for all. This health promotion strategy has been very effective over the years: “In thirty years over 31 million patients visited OPD and over 2.9 surgeries were performed” (LRBT, 2016, pars. 5). In 2005 LRBT was recognized by the government of Pakistan, and given a token of appreciation (LRBT, …show more content…
Comparing the Canadian primary health care system (PHC) to the lack of health care in Pakistan, it is evident that there are beneficial strategies that could be implemented in Pakistan. Working with the same goals as LRBT, a nurses’ role could be working toward obtaining a health care system more similar to the PHC that is in place in Canada. According to the Canadian Nurses Association’s position statement on PHC “Transforming the health-care system through a strengthened PHC approach is vital to increasing access to community-based care, improving chronic disease prevention and management, and supporting families to care for one another” (CNA, 2015, para. 3). Similar to the goals of LRBT and the programs lead through the NGO, these principles would create a higher quality of life for those living in Pakistan. With the school and diabetic retinopathy program that LRBT implements, nurses could create a teaching role that would then teach the patients ' to take care of their own health and possibly their families. Numerous different teachings could be brought into action, such as, information about diabetes, and care of the disease, as well routine eye check ups. Actively participating in their own health could enrich the patients’ lives, and this aspect is a crucial element for improving a health care system,
Introduction
The United Nations as created an agenda for 2030. Within this agenda, there are seventeen sustainable developmental goals (SDG) that aim to transform our world. These goals are to be met through numerous different means: government policies, public change, non-government organizations (NGO), and a variety of other ways. NGO’s are a large way to help meet these goals and impact the world for the better. LRBT, an NGO that focuses on eye care for those who live in Pakistan, concentrates on meeting the goal, ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing for all at all ages (UN, 2016; WHO, 2016). Ensuring eye care for the residents of Pakistan not only provides them with care they should be subject to always, but …show more content…
In Pakistan over half of the incidences of blindness were caused by cataracts; over three quarters of these cases being treatable (Shab et al., 2008). With the work LRBT has done over the past thirty years, they have created a supportive environment for the residents of Pakistan. Helping reduce the prevalence of blindness in Pakistan by almost fifty percent (LRBT, 2016). Many of their projects have a heavier focus on rural communities, where there are more vision issues, because these rural communities have higher population age (Jadoon et al., 2006). In the rural area of Pakistan the greatest challenge of living a healthy life is access to health care, poverty and government policy. With a focus on access LRBT has spread their clinics throughout Pakistan over their four provinces, resulting in no Pakistani being more than a three hour bus ride away from an LRBT facility (LRBT, 2016). Establishing access for these people to allow them to have eye care free of charge is how LRBT is helping to meet the United Nation’s goal to have health for all. This health promotion strategy has been very effective over the years: “In thirty years over 31 million patients visited OPD and over 2.9 surgeries were performed” (LRBT, 2016, pars. 5). In 2005 LRBT was recognized by the government of Pakistan, and given a token of appreciation (LRBT, …show more content…
Comparing the Canadian primary health care system (PHC) to the lack of health care in Pakistan, it is evident that there are beneficial strategies that could be implemented in Pakistan. Working with the same goals as LRBT, a nurses’ role could be working toward obtaining a health care system more similar to the PHC that is in place in Canada. According to the Canadian Nurses Association’s position statement on PHC “Transforming the health-care system through a strengthened PHC approach is vital to increasing access to community-based care, improving chronic disease prevention and management, and supporting families to care for one another” (CNA, 2015, para. 3). Similar to the goals of LRBT and the programs lead through the NGO, these principles would create a higher quality of life for those living in Pakistan. With the school and diabetic retinopathy program that LRBT implements, nurses could create a teaching role that would then teach the patients ' to take care of their own health and possibly their families. Numerous different teachings could be brought into action, such as, information about diabetes, and care of the disease, as well routine eye check ups. Actively participating in their own health could enrich the patients’ lives, and this aspect is a crucial element for improving a health care system,