“Welcome to Vision Mundi. 80% of the causes of blindness in poor countries are treatable or preventable”

Our founder, the ophthalmologist from Logroño Julio Yangüela Rodilla, tells us about the birth of Vision Mundi and the impact of treating vision problems to fight poverty.

The NGO Fundación Visión Mundi was founded in 2003 by ophthalmologist Julio Yangüela Rodilla. Born in Logroño in 1964, he comes from a family of five generations of doctors. He also chairs the Spanish Society Against Blindness in Developing Countries (an association of various Spanish blindness-related NGOs based in La Rioja, working in 25 of the world’s poorest countries). Yangüela studied in Soria and Zaragoza, specializing in ophthalmology at Puerta del Hierro Clinic in Madrid and at Moorfields and Great Ormond Hospitals in London. He currently works at the Fundación Hospital Alcorcón in Madrid.

How and why did you create the NGO Fundación Visión Mundi?

For several years I travelled as a volunteer to Bolivia, and one day I was given the book “Un médico en el Congo”, the story of a Spanish doctor who lived his whole life there, operated on many people, and when he died, nothing remained because no one continued his work. I then thought about ensuring that, when I could no longer travel to Bolivia, the work I was doing there could continue. By chance, in the United States, I discovered the Aravind Foundation — a global model in the fight against blindness. I visited India, saw how they worked, and decided to found Vision Mundi following the same approach: differentiated fees to care for everyone and technology adapted to developing countries.

What exactly does Vision Mundi do? Is training local professionals the main focus?

We do not carry out surgical missions — as many NGOs do, sometimes the only possible way to cooperate when there is no stability. We work differently: we seek a local partner who has or can run a medical centre properly, and we select personnel to train so that an ophthalmology centre can operate all year long. We help manage centres and provide scholarships so professionals can train from scratch, from newly graduated doctors to ophthalmologists or opticians, achieving the same quality as in Europe. In Africa and South America, we have agreements with universities and training centres.

And you personally — how and why did you begin doing humanitarian cooperation?

It happened by chance. My parents were always very supportive; my father was president of Médicos Mundi in La Rioja until he died, and I grew up seeing this concern for others. I remember, as a child in Logroño, going to the Cocina Económica to bring donations. I always had that inclination and, thanks to colleagues, I learned about a project in Bolivia and started volunteering. I participated for ten years until founding Vision Mundi.

Is it difficult to work in cooperation in a field like ophthalmology?

I’m an ophthalmologist, and it doesn’t seem that complex to me, especially considering that 80% of the causes of blindness in the poorest countries are treatable or preventable. The main cause of blindness is cataracts — which can be operated — and not wearing glasses is the main cause of poor vision — solved with a simple pair of glasses. We are talking about something that has a solution and at low cost. The challenge is finding centres that can provide this service and staff to run them. In many African countries, there is one ophthalmologist per million inhabitants, whereas in Europe the ratio is one to 10,000. And the few ophthalmologists that exist often come from the social elite and work only for wealthier patients. Training costs €10,000–15,000 per month for three or four years — totally inaccessible for the poor.

Discrimination and isolation

It is striking that someone can regain sight just because of economic means. Is it really that “basic”?

It truly is. The World Health Organization considers that — along with vaccination — regaining sight or seeing well is one of the most effective health actions to fight poverty. A child who cannot see cannot learn; an adult cannot work; an elderly person becomes isolated and discriminated against. Moreover, two-thirds of blind people are women because in less developed societies they often lack income or transport to access care. In Africa, it is even common for blind elders to rely on a child as a guide — keeping that child from school and perpetuating the cycle of underdevelopment caused by visual impairment.