UAE | Government

A world free of blindness

A programme aimed at creating a "world free from blindness" has been launched under the personal initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

  • By Bassam Za'za' and Wafa Issa, Staff Reporters
  • Published: 23:47 September 3, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A programme aimed at creating a "world free from blindness" has been launched under the personal initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The initiative, called Noor Dubai, meaning light in Arabic, aims to cure one million people of visual impairments in its first year.

"Today, at the beginning of this holy month, I am pleased to announce a personal initiative that aims to relieve the pain of millions in our region and around the world. The pain of all those forgotten in the fog of war and conflict and in the crises of market instability," Shaikh Mohammad said on Wednesday in a speech read on his behalf by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Event Management Corporation.

"We are part of one community divided only by those of us who have and those of us who have not. We owe it to our needy brothers and sisters to reach out and lend our support to help them overcome their challenges and suffering. Our message to them is: we will not ignore you. We will lead the mobilisation of the international community to act on this global challenge," Shaikh Ahmad said.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will be in charge of implementing Noor Dubai's agenda in collaboration with two leading international organisations - Lions Clubs International, the world's largest volunteer organisation which functions in 202 countries, and Orbis International, a global development organisation whose mission is to treat and prevent blindness by strengthening the capacity of local eye health partners.

"Noor Dubai aims to deliver preventive eye care to over one million people as part of its drive to realise its vision of a world free from curable forms of blindness. It will endeavour to bring light to millions of people whose lives are threatened by a world of darkness. Just as Dubai Cares has become a beacon of hope and inspiration to many countries and international organisations, let us all come together to collectively work to ensure Noor Dubai becomes another catalyst towards a bigger international commitment to cure eye diseases and protect children from preventable forms of blindness," said Shaikh Ahmad.

Noor Dubai will help people suffering from three major eye diseases: cataract, which is the leading cause of blindness in the world affecting 18 million people; strabismus, that affects more than 5 per cent of children worldwide; and corneal opacities which is responsible for the blindness of 4.9 million people.

Noor Dubai will also give equal importance to preventative and awareness programmes which aim to raise public awareness on the importance of these approaches in preventing blindness.

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