Sierra Leone

Blindness in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is on the coast of West Africa, with Guinea to the north, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west of the country. The country’s healthcare infrastructure had a slow start due to 11 years of civil war from 1991 to 2002 that hindered its development. In 2010, Sierra Leone launched its Free Health Care Initiative to increase coverage and accessibility throughout the country.

However, the initiative does not include eyecare. This became an even greater problem following the Ebola outbreak in 2014, where survivors of the disease were at risk of developing uveitis, or inflammation of the eye and becoming blind. If detected early, eyesight can be restored; however, with only 6 ophthalmologists in the entire country, many Sierra Leoneans did not receive proper eyecare.

Due to its climate and location, people living in Sierra Leone are also at risk of getting onchocerciasis, or river blindness.