Tanzania

Blindness in Tanzania

Tanzania is a country in East Africa that is home to the famous Mount Kilimanjaro. Widespread poverty is common in this country, as 9 out of 10 people live on less than a dollar a day. More than two-thirds of the population also live in rural areas with extremely limited access to medical services. With an inability to afford medical care, many Tanzanians will turn to their local traditional healers, who are not able to treat more serious conditions like blindness.

It is estimated that approximately 300,000 people are blind in Tanzania today. The main cause of blindness is cataracts, followed by corneal scarring, glaucoma, and trauma. A study published through the National Center for Biotechnology Information reported that over a third of all blindness cases in Northern Tanzania are treatable.

SEE is committed to lowering the prevalence of treatable blindness in Tanzania by providing services to those who would otherwise not be able to afford or access the care they need.