Despite NGO efforts, government initiatives to modern medicine, why are people still going blind?

There are 39 million people in the world who are blind, 80% living in low- income countries such as India, China and Africa and over 80% are blind from conditions that are either completely curable or preventable. They will suffer from cataract, glaucoma and trachoma to name a few.

To identify any eye conditions, you need to get a simple eye check by a primary healthcare provider. This is not so easy for those living on day-to- day pay and or those living in rural areas. Help is concentrated in urban cities. It’s typical to have 80% of healthcare workers living in capital cities catering to only 20% of the population. The problem lies in access to care.

“If I am to travel to the nearest health camp, it will take me two days by bus. I would have to leave my family. How can I give up two days of my income, when I’m not even sure there is anything wrong with me? I cannot afford this.” Time and time again this is the story that will be recounted by primary field workers and these front line health workers are often the first and only link rural residents will have to basic healthcare.

The Solution? Mobile Technology.

In many of these countries there is higher penetration of mobile technology as there is healthcare, for this very reason mobile innovations should be used to deliver quality care.

Pellucid Mobility turns, a smartphone or tablet into a comprehensive eye examination tool.

If the patient cannot come to ask for help when something is wrong, or is completely unaware of these eye conditions, we can now go to their homes and what previously required was an expensive and immobile fundus camera and an ophthalmologist is now carried out by a smartphone and quite possibly, a neighbour.