A team composed of eight cooperators from the Arruzafa Foundation has headed to Equatorial Guinea this week to complete the forty-sixth ophthalmological mission on the African continent in the two decades it has been carrying out its humanitarian work outside the national geographic limits. Coordinated by ophthalmologist Antonio Cano, from the Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery Unit at the Arruzafa Hospital, the group also includes ophthalmologist Álvaro Sánchez Ventosa, nurse Eva Blanco, optometrists Rosa Castillo and Marta López, assistant Jonathan Espinar, anesthetist Francisco Gómez, and optician Jesús Sánchez Poveda.
The cooperators, who will be traveling for ten days, plan to provide ophthalmological assistance in clinics and operating rooms coordinated with the National Organization of the Blind of Equatorial Guinea (Ongice). For this mission, 260 kilos of medical supplies have been sent for their use. In the ten ophthalmological missions carried out by the Arruzafa Foundation in the city of Malabo, 7,254 patients have been treated to date. The last mission at this destination took place in February 2024, where 786 people were treated and 121 surgical interventions were performed.
For the past two years, this trip has been supported by a subsidy granted by the City Council of Córdoba, which covers a quarter of the travel costs. Similarly, a total of 868 surgical interventions have been completed, and 6,682 prescription glasses have been distributed, 259 of special classification and 2,505 sunglasses.
"These types of actions are essential to bring ophthalmological care to those who need it most, especially in areas where access to health is limited," highlighted ophthalmologist Antonio Cano, leader of the mission. "Our commitment is to continue working to improve the quality of life of people through visual health. Every intervention and every pair of glasses makes a difference."
The Arruzafa Foundation, recognized for its humanitarian work in the field of ophthalmology, will continue to carry out missions like this with the aim of benefiting vulnerable communities in various parts of the world.