Restoring sight, but short‐sighted? Ethical considerations in global cataract missions

In: World medical & health policy, Band 16, Heft 2, S. 244-253

Abstract

Key points

Though cataract missions perform an obvious good of restoring sight, this in itself does not ethically sanction their existence due to an intersection with cultural, social, and economic factors of the host country.
Current guidelines do not adequately address the many ethical issues that may arise during these missions necessitating further ethical consideration.
Not all countries beset by high rates of cataract‐related blindness are similar in their need. The specific context of the host country ought to inform the purpose and execution of cataract missions.