Noor Dubai Foundation recently treated 6,100 people suffering from visual impairment through eye camps in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. A non-profit organisation, Noor Dubai Foundation aims to treat preventable forms of blindness and raise awareness of diseases that cause blindness. It has helped more than 27 million people since its inception in 2008.
During the mobile eye camps held in Bangladesh last month, the foundation conducted 646 surgeries and distributed 1,923 eyeglasses with the help of donations from the family of the late Abdul Salam Al Rafi.
This was the fourth camp conducted by Noor Dubai Foundation in Bangladesh.
Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of Noor Dubai Foundation, says the camp succeeded in treating patients at Makkah Hospital, which is 242km away from Rajshahi, where the main cause of visual impairment among adults is cataract, a clouding of the lens in the eye that can be easily reversed with the right treatment.
“After treatment, patients are able to go back to their daily lives and carry on their jobs and social responsibilities, leading to improved economic and social conditions for those receiving treatment,” explains Dr Manal.
She stresses that Noor Dubai Foundation’s keenness to provide its diagnostic and treatment services to fight blindness in Bangladesh, as 800,000 of its 166-million population suffer from visual impairment. Of this 800,000, 40,000 are children below the age of 15.
Mohammad Al Rafi, son of the late Abdul Salam Al Rafi, says his family is pleased that the donation they have made in the memory of their late father has benefited more than 6,100 people in need.
“Giving to those in need is a tradition that has been instilled in us by our late father and is actively encouraged by the leadership of our aspiring nation and blessed country.
“My family’s heartfelt gratitude goes to Noor Dubai Foundation and the UAE Government for their engagement in piloting such remarkable initiatives for noble causes possible. Today, I am grateful that we have positively impacted the lives of hundreds of people who will hopefully go on to positively impact hundreds more.”
Addressing a need
Since the launch of the foundation’s outreach programme in 2008, more than 257,338 individuals have been screened for eye diseases; it has conducted 25,954 surgeries and provided 60,111 glasses to those living in remote areas with minimal access to primary healthcare facilities. Noor Dubai is currently preparing for its extensive visual impairment prevention programme in Katsina in northern Nigeria. The four-year programme includes health screening to identify the spread of visual impairment and the upgrading of hospitals so that they have specialised eye clinics that are capable of providing surgical treatment and diagnostic services in the area.
The foundation’s national award-winning Mobile Clinic outreach programme in the UAE succeeded in providing free vision screening to over 8,000 individuals last year.
“In partnership with the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai, we were able to screen more than 1,500 labourers in 16 different sites,” says Dr Manal. “In addition, continuing on the success of the 2016 campaign for vision screening in community schools in collaboration with Dubai Health Authority, we successfully screened over 5,000 students through 27 visits to 11 different schools across the UAE in 2017.”
Noor Dubai Foundation has successfully continued with the hospital-based treatment programme in the UAE, treating 149 cases with critical eye diseases and limited financial capability through its partnership with the social services department of Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Hospital.
Five-year plan
Dr Manal adds that in an effort to broaden the foundation’s scope and improve the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the foundation’s programmes, a five-year strategic plan was created.
In line with the directive from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to systematise charity work in Dubai, Noor Dubai Foundation created three administrative systems in the fields of quality, sustainability and social responsibility. The foundation has also received three ISO certifications — ISO 9001: 2015-Quality Management Systems, ISO 22301:2012-Business Continuity and ISO 26000-Social Responsibility.
Furthermore, Noor Dubai Foundation is one of the first specialised charities to receive three ISO certificates in the Middle East and North Africa. Receiving the certification is a testimonial to the foundation’s global and local commitment to provide the best quality treatment and preventive services to fight visual impairment all over the world.
