A multidisciplinary team from Alicante has achieved a major humanitarian milestone in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, completing the first “Balmis for Vision” expedition of 2026. Organized by the Fundación Jorge Alió and the Rotary Club Alicante, with collaboration from the University of Alicante and Universidad Miguel Hernández in Elche, the mission attended to 2,126 patients and performed 176 sight-restoring surgeries in just six days.
The initiative, part of the longstanding “Nouadhibou Vision” project, focuses on regions with limited access to specialized ophthalmic care, addressing treatable blindness caused by cataracts and early detection of glaucoma. Cataracts were identified as the leading cause of reversible blindness, with many adults presenting advanced “white cataracts” reducing vision to light perception.
Complex cases were treated with extracapsular surgery, while most underwent phacoemulsification. Glaucoma, responsible for irreversible vision loss, affected roughly a quarter of patients examined, often in advanced stages due to late diagnosis and limited access to medication.
Children represented 30% of the patients, many receiving corrective glasses or early interventions to prevent permanent visual impairment. Conditions such as keratoconjunctivitis vernal, high myopia, amblyopia, and congenital corneal lesions were identified, emphasizing the importance of early pediatric screening.
The Alicante team included ophthalmologists Dr. Jorge Alió and Dr. Mariam Davitshalli, optometrists from the University of Alicante, nurses, coordinators, and international volunteers. Donated spectacles from the Lions Club Alicante were distributed, generating profound emotional responses among patients and staff.
Local authorities, Spanish diplomats, and Mauritanian partners facilitated logistics and safety, ensuring the mission’s success. Since its inception in 2007, Nouadhibou Vision has conducted 26 expeditions, over 70,000 consultations and 4,642 surgical interventions, demonstrating the transformative impact of Alicante-based international cooperation.
Through initiatives like “Balmis for Vision,” Alicante’s medical and academic communities continue to provide life-changing care in Africa, restoring sight, independence, and hope for vulnerable populations.
