Mozambique man goes blind after using urine to treat conjunctivitis

Babu Aiuba is currently receiving treatment at the Central Hospital of Quelimane.

He told local reporters he had contracted haemorrhagic conjunctivitis earlier this month.

“I washed my eyes with soap and urine,” he said.

Mr Aiuba said this was “a practice of people in the neighbourhood”.

But this only made his eye worse. He eventually lost his sight.

Ophthalmologist Eugénia Cavele said the use of traditional medicines made the bacterial conjunctivitis progress to blindness.

“I would like to warn everyone who has symptoms or signs of conjunctivitis not to use substances that are not scientifically proven and not to self-medicate, as this can lead to stages of blindness,” Mr Cavele said.

This is the first case of blindness caused by traditional treatment since haemorrhagic conjunctivitis broke out in Mozambique.

Haemorrhagic conjunctivitis now affects almost all Mozambican provinces, including the capital, Maputo.

Authorities have also reported cases of conjunctivitis at the Maputo Provincial Penitentiary Establishment.

At least 270 inmates of the prison are infected.

Conjunctivitis outbreaks have also hit several other countries in east and southern Africa.