Dr. Grace Chipalo-Mutati ZAMBIA, MSC COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE (2005–6) Vision 2020 is a global initiative to combat avoidable blindness in all 193 WHO states by the year 2020. The campaign highlights that 90% of all blindness and visual impairment cases occur in low to middle income countries, with an overwhelming 80% of these preventable or curable. The consequences are drastic. 12 million children who cannot read the blackboard or text books fall behind or even drop out of school, when a short eye examination and pair of prescription glasses could have corrected the problem. “If we are to achieve this goal we need more clinics and more people trained in Ophthalmology – we have to act at ground level to let communities know treatment is available and blindness is avoidable. We have so many poverty related health care problems here and finding ways to solve them is extremely stressful. But it’s also amazing to watch a person smile after sight-restoring surgery.” In Zambia, a lack of qualified staff and one of the fastest growing populations on the planet means getting eye care services to communities that need it most is a particular struggle. As one of just 18 Ophthalmologists serving the country’s 15 million people, Dr. Grace Chipalo-Mutati’s contribution to Zambia meeting the Vision2020 goal is immense. E N G A G I N G • Grace is Head of the Eye Unit at Lusaka’s University Teaching hospital, the largest hospital in Zambia. With no community eye health training available at home, Grace moved to London for her Master’s to learn vital skills in community eye health education, and how the link between poverty and avoidable blindness can be lessened. As a mother of three, the decision to study overseas was not one that Grace took lightly, but the impact for Zambia’s Vision 2020 goal is only too clear. In a country where up to 60% of graduates leave for employment opportunities abroad, Grace is an asset to Zambia, and demonstrates daily the wide-reaching impact that her education has had, and is having, on so many people. On returning to her post, Grace greatly increased primary eye care training and outreach services. Staff at the Eye Unit have since carried out more than 1,000 surgeries in 2009-10 alone. Grace also spearheaded the development of a curriculum for a Master’s degree in Ophthalmology, Zambia starting to train Ophthalmologists in 2011 for the very first time. The following year, the establishment of a new, fully equipped training, resource and research Centre has further cemented Zambia’s position as a leader in Ophthalmology on the continent. “The new Centre has taken us from a mere Eye Unit in the department of surgery to a fully functioning department of our own, and a centre of excellence for eye care in Zambia – I couldn’t be doing a more satisfying job”. C O N N E C T I N G • I N S P I R I N G