Dr. Gerald Msukwa was early to the operating room on Wednesday. The ophthalmologist was preparing to perform an eye surgery in a hospital in Malawi, only this time the operation is special — it’s going to be broadcast online.
The surgery is for a 69-year-old man who has been blind for two years after developing cataracts, a leading cause for blindness worldwide. The disease can be inborn or linked to other ailments like diabetes or onchocerciasis (river blindness), but the majority of people at risk of getting cataracts are simply adults over 40 years old.
“I always compare it to the way we get gray hair as we grow older,” Msukwa told Devex before the operation. “The lens of the eyes becomes less clear so you can’t see.”
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
