A bright vision for Palestinian women

This article appeared in the Spring 2010 edition of The Star in the East. Photos are © Steve Sabella. With thanks to Geof Jarvis of St John Eye Hospital for supplying the information.

St John Eye Hospital in East Jerusalem provides vital ophthalmic care throughout the West Bank and Gaza. With a main hospital, three satellite clinics and a mobile clinic serving the isolated villages, it is a lifeline for disadvantaged people who would otherwise risk losing their sight.

Conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory make life difficult in general, but the Eye Hospital staff are acutely aware of the specific problems faced by women.

Educational opportunities are less widespread for girls than for boys, and without education, it is difficult for women to acquire knowledge about health problems that could ultimately affect their sight. Diabetes, for example, can go unrecognised for too long, potentially leading to diabetic retinopathy – a particular risk for pregnant women.

Travel restrictions affect everybody, but women might not be permitted to travel at all unless accompanied by a male relative, with the result that necessary visits to clinics are neglected until eyesight has deteriorated beyond repair. Even where assistance is available, young women have to contend with the social stigma of wearing glasses or having an obvious impairment, which can inhibit their chances of making a good marriage.

Women’s lives are frequently centred around the home and, when money is tight, men’s needs come first, further limiting women’s ability to access services.

Yet good eyesight is elemental in the process of receiving education. And empowering women helps developing countries increase and sustain economic growth. When permitted access to education, women increase the overall human capital of

a country. Furthermore, when better educated and in greater control of their lives, women are more successful in asserting their views on family planning and bringing down rapid population growth. The current high fertility rate creates health issues of its own, with the demands of family life leaving mothers little opportunity to seek preventive care.

For women faced with these challenges, St John Eye Hospital provides essential screening services, increasing the chances of early diagnosis and successful treatment.

The hospital's own vision is clear:

'By doing our best to provide accessible and affordable services that address some of the eminently treatable conditions that contribute to the prevention of women receiving education in the occupied Palestinian territory, we help empower the female population and contribute to the long-term development of the region.'

The Hospital estimates that it will treat over 45,000 women in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza during 2010.

This means that more than 45,000 families will benefit as a daughter, wife, mother or grandmother will no longer suffer the stigma of obvious sight defects or the economic burden of impaired vision.

Dua'a's Story

Dua'a is 19 and comes from a poor family living in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. Her father is unemployed and the family survives with help from UNWRA (United Nations Works and Refugee Agency) and with the support of friends and neighbours.

Dua'a had the opportunity to attend school and, although her short-sightedness could have made her studies a challenge, she did well and went on to study for a degree in Physics at Nablus's Al Najjar University.

In August 2009, Dua’a went to St John Eye Hospital with loss of vision in her right eye – a worrying development given that the vision in her left eye was too low to be improved. She could hardly see the eye chart at all.

She was diagnosed with a retinal detachment and underwent complicated surgery that included removal of the lens and insertion of an artificial intra-ocular replacement. Within three weeks of the operation, Dua'a's vision had improved so much that she was able to read the fourth line of the eye chart, with the help of a contact lens.

Now, thanks to the Eye Hospital staff, she can return to her studies and look forward to achieving her Physics degree.

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