Cataracts are the major cause of blindness and visual impairment in developing countries and contribute to more than 90% of the total disability adjusted life years. In 2020, an estimated 15.2 million (12.7-17.9) people worldwide aged 50+ years were blind due to cataract. In this episode, we talk with Dr James Guzek MD and Director AJ Martinson about the movie ‘The End of Blindness’ and the work being done in Ethiopia to combat cataract-related blindness. We talk about the awe-inspiring precision micro-surgery being performed in mobile operating theatres that can be carried around in the back of an SUV, most often in the middle of nowhere, the impact cataract-related blindness has on the local population, and the mindset required to make a difference in extreme environments far removed from the hi-tech operating theatres in the West. Dr James Guzek has been practicing ophthalmology for over 30 years and has served as the Chief of Ophthalmology for several years at the J. L. Pettis VA Hospital, Loma Linda, California as well as working in Saudi Arabia for three years, Sri Lanka for three years and Ghana for four years before moving to the Pacific Cataract and Laser surgery institute, Kennewick, Washington where he is now based. AJ Martinson has worked as a producer and director on several projects ranging from documentaries, independent films and spy thrillers, and has also founded his own production company, Section 3 Films, which creates commercials, documentaries and narrative films with an emphasis on branded content for the web. They have in common a desire to use their skills to help those in need and also to bring about a lasting and positive change to areas of the world where most often, the need is greatest but resources the fewest. To find out more please check it out here https://theendofblindness.com/ Technical Disclaimer - Pav, our host had some audio issues while recording this which impacted the quality of the sound, however we felt the content here was so good we wanted to share it with you.

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