Utah doctor joins fundraiser to promote anti-blindness campaign

Salt Lake City-A One World Sight Project fundraiser, the Eyes of Africa, lead by physician Richard Weiss, MD, of Newport Beach, CA, recently was held to help cure world blindness.

The fundraiser involved dispensing botulinum toxin A treatments, with proceeds donated toward the banishment of a curable form of blindness. Steven Jepson, MD, a Murray, UT, dermatologist, was one of the physicians selected to participate in the Nov. 16 effort because of his expertise in botulinum toxin type A treatment and his willingness to donate time to promote the campaign. "I'm honored to be a part of this effort," he said.

Of Africa's 7 million blind people, half suffer from bilateral cataracts, according to the One World Site Project. Their vision can be restored permanently with a procedure that takes less than 20 minutes and costs $25 to $50.

More information about the Eyes of Africa Initiative can be found at www.endblindness.org.

Dr. Jepson and staff also have been collecting items for the Utah Food Bank throughout December. Each person who brought in five food items received a $25 gift certificate that can be used at his clinic.