Pharmaceutical production and intraocular lens implantation: technology appropriate to the Third World

Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa, suffers the serious health problems and obstacles to the provision of adequate health care that typify Third World countries. Yet, despite the compounding effect of war, the Eritreans' pharmaceutical facility meets 40% of their capsule and tablet requirements, and all their intravenous fluid demands. If intravenous fluid production is possible in this environment, as it is, then the authors contend that routine microscopic intraocular surgery (including intraocular lens implantation) should be as well. The establishment of an Eritrean facility capable of such surgery is recorded. The authors believe this type of surgery should be seriously considered in any attempt to deal with the problem of Third World cataract blindness.