Armenia

Blindness in Armenia

Armenia is a truly ancient civilization. Archeological evidence suggests that people have lived in the region for 325,000 years. Its modern capital of Yerevan was founded thirty years before the original founding of Rome. Its ancient ruins, Medieval churches, and dazzling artwork are legendary.
Since achieving independence from the USSR in 1991, Armenia has struggled to provide healthcare to all of its people. According to the World Health Organization, many local communities lack access to treatment and medicine. This is especially true in rural areas, where healthcare professionals are scarce.

Children are particularly vulnerable to deprivation in Armenia.According to UNICEF, two out of every three children lack adequate housing, healthcare, education, access to food, or other necessities. There are three times as many blind infants in the country as there are in the United States. This is because there are too few eye surgeons in the country to treat blindness in general. Moreover, rates of juvenile diabetes and diabetes-related conditions that can lead to blindness continue to rise in Armenia.

Many people also suffer from serious long-term eye trauma due to landmines that are still scattered throughout the country as a result of past wars. However, cataracts are the main cause of blindness in Armenia.