Distributing Medication to Prevent Blindness

Meet Yeshiemebet, a compassionate nurse who has been helping eliminate trachoma in the SNNPR region where Orbis has been active for many years.

After fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a nurse and working at a health center in her hometown, Yeshiemebet’s developed an interest in eye care and was recruited and trained by Orbis as one of the first health workers in the Sidama region to carry out trachomatous trichiasis surgeries (when repeated trachoma infections cause the eyelashes to turn inward and rub against the eyeball, eventually causing irreversible vision loss).

After performing this surgery for six years, she told us: “I am interested in eye care service because the eye is one of the main organs of our body. And it is a rewarding responsibility to be able to restore people’s sight before they face blindness.”

Yeshiemebet also works on Trachoma Impact Surveys as a Recorder, critical work which tracks progress in eliminating the disease and helps target prevention efforts most effectively.

She was specially trained by Orbis to carry out these surveys, going home-to-home, assessing the community’s susceptibility to infection, and finding preventative solutions; an impactful and rewarding role she has held for three years.

Yeshiemebet tells us “through our visits, the people now have enough awareness about trachoma, they know the benefits of the medicine. We notice there are fewer and fewer cases when we go back to the same area. Nowadays, people have enough awareness that they can even explain it well to other community members.”

Although she says her role has helped her grow professionally, the surveys can be “exhausting” especially when covering ground in isolated communities. She recalled a time when she and her team traveled through areas that couldn't be accessed by car or bike.

She shared: “It felt like we would never reach a town or see another person’s face. During that trip, I even doubted why I was even doing the job. But later I forgot all that difficulty and got back to work. The work requires personal interest and a heart to help people as the job is about serving the community, not about personal comfort.”

A huge thank you to this amazing nurse who is working hard alongside other eye health heroes to drive down trachoma cases and turn the tide on this neglected tropical disease!

Yeshiemebet dreams that one day Ethiopia will be free from any trachoma. And so do we. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’re a step closer to making this dream a reality.

Ten years ago, Yishamu became one of the first Health Extension Workers trained through the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia. As a Health Extension Worker, Yishamu works to improve the health and well-being of families, particularly women and children, throughout the Konso Zone. She conducts routine examinations and check-ups, and provides vital health education, including the importance of good hygiene practices.

“We vis­it each and every mem­ber of our com­mu­ni­ty as assigned to teach them about var­i­ous health issues, includ­ing eye health care. We most­ly focus on pre­ven­tion. We have also had var­i­ous addi­tion­al train­ings orga­nized by Orbis on per­son­al hygiene, tra­choma iden­ti­fi­ca­tion and patient referral.”

As a Health Extension Worker, Yishamu plays a critical role in preventing the spread of blinding trachoma in her community.

Yishamu and her team of Health Extension Workers and community volunteers visit each and every home in their assigned community to distribute trachoma fighting antibiotics, examine people for signs of active trachoma infection or trichiasis, and deliver critical health information and education on how to limit the spread of the disease.

We are incredibly fortunate to have selfless and compassionate people like Yishamu who have dedicated their lives to freeing their communities from the burden of blinding trachoma. On behalf of Orbis and the tens of thousands of people who have been saved from a lifetime of blindness, we say thank you!