Mission "Ridare la luce" 

In the least-developed countries, and in particular Sub-Saharan Africa, cataracts are responsible for half of all avoidable blindness. Other causes include glaucoma (15%), corneal opacities (10%), trachoma (6.8%), childhood blindness (5.3%), and onchocerciasis (4%). A simple, low-cost, one-time procedure can restore full sight to patients with cataracts, but in too many places those procedures are not available. I partecipated to the mission  "Ridare la luce" in 2008, together with italian ophthalmologists and in collaboration with AFMAL and Italian air forces. The mission was held to operate cataracts in Gao and Bamako villages, in Mali. Each patient traveled a long way blind, lead by hand by a parent, and left to go back home with one seeing eye. Many patients were Tuareg, inhabitants of the Sahara Desert. Their beards were colored according to the different tribes they belonged to.