During World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, Dr. Eric Nguemadjibaye led an important community outreach session at a large parish in Chad, engaging families, caregivers, and community members on the early signs of retinoblastoma and the critical importance of early detection.
In many settings like Chad, children with retinoblastoma often present late to care, when the disease has already advanced significantly. In recent weeks, Dr. Eric has managed cases where diagnosis came too late for eye preservation, including a 9-month-old child with bilateral retinoblastoma who required referral to Cameroon for urgent treatment. These experiences reflect a painful but common reality across many low resource settings.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Eric continues to push forward with hope and determination. He shared his intention to pursue further training in pediatric ophthalmology to strengthen his ability to manage childhood eye diseases and improve outcomes for children in his care.
“Most of these cases are late stage. It’s truly heartbreaking to see these children. But we hope that with everyone’s efforts, we will succeed.”
Awareness remains one of the most powerful tools we have. When communities understand the early signs of retinoblastoma such as the white reflex, children are more likely to be referred in time for life saving treatment.
Every conversation matters. Every awareness session matters. And every child seen early has a better chance at survival and vision preservation.
