The dancing surgeon

Update - April 2020

We are very sad to announce that Aliyu passed away on 5 April following a short illness.

Before joining Sightsavers, Aliyu worked side by side with us as an ophthalmic nurse and trachoma surgeon for the ministry of health. He was one of the first trachoma surgeons to be trained in Nigeria and made an extraordinary contribution to reducing the impact of trachoma in the states he worked in. His warmth and love for the communities he was protecting shone through and he was widely admired and respected wherever he went.

He will be sadly missed by everyone at Sightsavers, and we are sending our best wishes to his family.

What looks like a frantic rugby scrum suddenly breaks out among a crowd of children, a huge dust cloud kicking up around them. But it’s not a fight, it’s a scramble for the big bowl of ripe mangoes that ophthalmic nurse Aliyu A-Umar has just bought from one of the young sellers and dropped in front of the group. The victors emerge happily, devouring their prize. And the losers quickly laugh it off, distracted by Aliyu singing and dancing his way through the walled alleys, beating a rhythm on the empty mango bowl. As the crowd of captivated children follows, beside themselves with delight at his antics, he leads them into a shaded clearing and dons his magnifying glasses. It’s an eye care screening cleverly disguised as a party.

“They are our people; we joke, we laugh, and they come closer to us. Whenever we come now, they accept us. If you come and act like they are nobody, if you ignore them, they run away from your programme.” Aliyu’s philosophy is clearly working. The children line up willingly for him to gently tilt their faces and shine his torch in their eyes, some even running off to find others they know are experiencing eye problems, then pushing them to the front.

Working hand in hand with Sightsavers and the state government, Aliyu is the head ophthalmic nurse and lead trachoma surgeon for Sokoto state, Nigeria. His work covers all 23 local government areas (LGAs), but he spends most of his time in the 12 areas where trachoma, an excruciating and blinding eye infection, has a strong grip on the communities.

“People who are suffering from this disease, always, they bend their head [he dips his head to demonstrate and shuffles forward slowly]; they don’t want to open their eyes. They will not be able to go to the farm, or to the market to sell their things. Even if they are selling, because of the nature of their eyes [which will be weeping and swollen] some people will not go closer to buy their things. But after you have been operated on you will be ok, you will be able to farm, get food, go to the market, and do so many things. By combating trachoma, the economy of the nation will improve.”

The root cause of the infection? Poor hygiene. “There is an adage in our own language: that somebody that is very dirty, is very strong. We have to do a lot to change the attitudes of people. Once there is good sanitation and hygiene there will be a reduction. Right now, people still have the disease so we give the antibiotics to stop the spread of the infection, and those that have already been affected, we go on to do the surgeries. But gradually the number of people with advanced trachoma [those needing corrective surgery after years of continuous infection caused their eyelids to turn inwards so lashes scrape across their eye] is decreasing. I am seeing a vision of a day when trachoma is eliminated, because of the commitment of the health workers; everybody will come together to eliminate trachoma.”

Aliyu is well placed to comment on the progress – he’s been working in eye care for 21 years, and in the Sightsavers programme for 10 of those. “Before Sightsavers came there were a lot of people who needed surgery. When we held outreaches, we worked from morning to night. There was a time I operated more than 50 eyes in one day. I operated, slept on the operating table and then continued the next day.” But now when they call for people with eye problems, fewer and fewer need surgery for trachoma.

Just because there are less surgeries to do, doesn’t mean Aliyu rests on his laurels – far from it. Monday to Friday he dedicates a huge amount of energy to official programme work. But on Sundays, together with two other surgeons, he spends his spare time and personal money going from place to place, educating people about the free eye care services available at local health facilities and hospitals. “Because there is ignorance, and there is poverty. Ignorance in the sense that people don’t know that these things can be treated. And poverty, because when you talk of hospitals, people think that you have to pay for the treatments, so they prefer to remain at home. We tell them ‘the services are free – go the nearest health clinic’. And you see them, they are coming; it’s working.”

His reasons for giving so much are humbling. “If someone from outside, like Sightsavers, that isn’t even from our country, can come and train us to do these things, and give us all the consumables, everything we need to do work, let us contribute our own quota so we can see the success of this programme.

It is our own people who we are helping, so why should I be reluctant? One cannot be happy to see someone suffering. Wherever I go in this community people call my name: ‘Aliyu, Aliyu, mongode [we thank you], thank you very much, we are very grateful, may god help you in whatever you are doing’. That alone [is enough]. I always feel happy to impact on the lives of others, so that I make them happy.”

It's clear Aliyu takes immense joy in his work; he’s constantly laughing and clapping, his lightbulb grin putting nervous little ones at ease. The adults love him too – although it’s a huge state, it’s as though he knows each person individually. It’s practically impossible for him to walk anywhere quickly – he stops to shake people’s hands, or perform on the spot eye exams, his torch always ready in his hand. No-one turns him down; there’s a huge trust and respect that is right at the heart of this programme’s success. When he talks, people listen.

When trachoma is eventually eliminated in this state, there’s no doubt Aliyu and his dancing will have played a significant part.

Sightsavers are working with people like Aliyu to eliminate blinding trachoma in the countries we work by 2020. Your support can help us do this. Donate here