Sightsavers to stream live cataract surgery from Malawi

Vision charity Sightsavers will this week stream live cataract surgery from rural Malawi to help launch a new appeal called a Million Miracles.

The operation will be broadcast on Google+ and at www.millionmiracles.org, on October 8, featuring 69 year-old patient Winesi (pictured) and Dr Gerald Msukwa.

Sightsavers said cataracts remained an acute problem in developing countries, where barriers included inadequate access to eye care infrastructure and the costs of surgery.

Dr Msukwa added: ‘The challenges are enormous. At the moment in Malawi there are only eight surgeons [for a population of more than 14 million people], so one issue is the number of doctors versus the patient need. Another is that in a poorly-resourced country people don’t seek help. They are stuck somewhere and the doctor is somewhere else – until you link the two: that is when you start to make an impact.’