The visually impaired population in developing countries faces significant challenges that can greatly affect their ability to access education, employment and overall quality of life. One of the main causes of visual impairment in these areas is lack of access to proper health care and nutrition. Many people in developing countries do not have access to regular eye examinations or treatment for common eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. In addition, poor nutrition can lead to vitamin A deficiency, which is a leading cause of blindness in these areas.

The project “Enhancing Access to Health Education via Audiopedia” was awarded to our partner Red Aid Nigeria as part of the EU/BMZ #SmartDevopmentHack at bridging the health and development information gap among illiterate women and girls in Nigeria through the use of smartphones to access audio messages. Its implementation comprised a pilot phase and a 2nd phase.

We are delighted that Audiopedia has been selected for the Digital-X catalogue by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) following an extensive selection process. More than 30 UNDP experts worked to find, match and link ready-to-use digital solutions to the pressing needs of UNDP, UN partners and governments. In the end, 100 solutions were selected from more than 4,000 submissions.

Trachoma is an infectious disease that affects the vision and is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. The route of transmission is via direct contact, flies that have been in contact with an infected person, or sharing clothes. The consequence of trachoma is irreversible blindness - the leading cause of blindness of infectious disease.

Schistosomiasis, also called bilharzia, is an infectious disease that is caused by parasitic worms. Globally, more than 200 million people have been impacted by this disease. The causative agent lives in freshwater snails which eventually enter the water of rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. People are affected by the parasite via skin contact - the parasite penetrates into the skin of people. Human diseases mostly occur with Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum, or S. haematobium. 

Unlike commercial radio, community radio works with local communities and helps in catering their specific needs and necessities and works as an innovative tool in bringing social change. Community radios can cover a wide range of topics, including literacy, numeracy, health, farm production, housing improvements, family and personal relationships, sport and leisure. 

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is an infectious disease that is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. The infection is transmitted by Simulium blackflies through a bite. It is the second leading infectious disease that results in vision loss. Unlike other diseases, this disease requires repeated bites for an infection to happen. The disease is also called river blindness because the fly breeds in streams and rivers and leads to vision loss. Onchocerciasis is prevailing in remote rural areas which makes those who live or work in these areas more at risk.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of communicable diseases and caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites that continuously affect more than 1 billion people globally. Despite ongoing measures, NTDs are still prevalent in vulnerable and low-income countries such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. NTDs are comprised of 20 different medical diseases and mostly target women and children of susceptible communities.

I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that believes in gender equality and spreading health education to vulnerable communities in every possible way.