1st ever Eye Camp for Balwadi children – 240 screened in 2 days

Blindness is one of the most severe – but preventable and treatable – issues faced by the poorest people here. Mumbai Smiles is associated with the children from age group 1-6 years through their Balwadi project catering 700 children in 23 Balwadis located in the Urban Slums of Mumbai. Refractive errors, Strabismus, Cataract etc becomes the most common causes of Blindness among children of this age group and if treated before the age of 10 years, it is reversible. Also corrections in the eye ailments of these children help improve the learning abilities in the children. Over the period of interventions in coming years, with the help the fruitful collaboration with Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital we initiated a series of Eye Camp for the Balwadi Children to address the problem of preventable blindness among children in the slums. Mumbai Smiles conducted their first of the series of eye camps for the 8 balwadis at Marol, Andheri East. In two days of the camp 240 children were screened for various eye ailments. The screened children will be followed up for the treatment and interventions in the second phase.

Through this planned approach we can reach maximum children and increase our contribution to achieve Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty through reducing blindness.