The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), in cooperation with Orbis Foundation, provided 250 bikes to Community Eye Health Champions (CEHCs) in the Copperbelt province of Zambia to overcome these geographical obstacles and support villages in need of assistance. The provision of these bicycles coincides with marking World Bicycle Day, which falls on June 3 annually. Many CEHCs used to travel long distances on foot. With the bikes, there can now be swift and efficient travel to reach those with eye conditions such as cataract or refractive error. Mpongwe joins the nine other districts in the Copperbelt province benefitting from this initiative. A recent study published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology showed that for every hour of riding a day, a persons risk of developing cataract could be reduced by 2 percent. This work, which is part of the Qatar Creating Vision (QCV) initiative, implemented by international eye care charity Orbis, was launched in July 2023. It focuses on expanding sight-saving services for children, with 40 percent of the 2.5 million people in the region being under the age of 15. Whats more, 60 percent are affected by poverty. With childhood vision loss, its vital that support is provided quickly before permanent damage can occur. In the first nine months of this project, almost 19,000 children have been screened, more than 580 surgeries conducted, around 670 front-line workers trained and over 35 public film screenings and radio segments delivered, to educate audiences on how to look after their eye health and that of their children, and where to seek help if their sight is failing. Source: Qatar News Agency