Health
Angelitos De Luz Medical Missions
Why invest in health care?
Access to basic health care is a fundamental precursor to sustainable economic development. CGSGI recognizes this important link between social and economic factors and has partnered with La Fundación Angelitos de Luz (Angels of Light Foundation) to sponsor medical missions to remote regions of Colombia.
How the missions work:
The medical missions enable volunteer medical personnel, including ophthalmologists, orthopedic surgeons, pediatricians, and gynecologists, to conduct consultations and perform basic medical procedures in various underserved locations in the country. Each mission provides services to approximately 2,000 people – many of them women and children who otherwise never would have the opportunity to receive treatment.
How CGSGI is helping:
As of February 2009, 20 of 30 planned missions were carried out with CGSGI’s support, bringing much needed medical assistance to more than 35,000 people. Greater productivity, especially for children in school, and an overall improvement of quality of life are some of the benefits of improved general health of these populations.
Cataracts
Cataracts – A Leading Cause of Blindness in the Developing World:
While cataracts are generally associated with aging, they also can be caused by pollutants in unsafe drinking water and by a diet lacking in Vitamins A, C, and E – realities faced by millions of impoverished people around the globe. Today, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the developing world. Cataracts are highly treatable, though, and the surgeries to correct them are inexpensive and require very limited post-surgery follow-up. Unfortunately, the need for cataract surgeries in the developing world far exceeds supply. In Peru alone, authorities reported 83,000 untreated cataract cases in 2007.
How CGSGI is helping:
To address this issue, CGSGI, Fundación Carlos Slim, and the Peruvian Ministry of Health have committed to deliver 50,000 additional cataract surgeries over the next four years to the most underserved populations of the country by supporting the costs and logistics related to the necessary medical equipment, supplies, personnel, and transportation. The goal is to build the country’s capacity to provide these surgeries long into the future, efficiently and at scale. In the near term, the program provides patients with this simple, life-changing medical procedure, significantly improving their quality of life.
