HAMBURG: Protesters injured 160 police officers in clashes and torched cars, barricades and rubbish bins on Friday as leaders from the world’s top economies gathered for a summit in Hamburg.
Police forces around Germany dispatched reinforcements to help 15,000 police already deployed to the northern port city for the Group of 20 (G-20) summit as the violence escalated. At least 15 people were arrested and dozens more held for questioning.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble canceled an appearance in downtown Hamburg on Friday morning due to security concerns, and police declined to clear US First Lady Melania Trump’s motorcade to leave her hotel to join in a tour of the city’s historic harbor, her spokeswoman said.
“She has already missed a good portion of it. It’s too bad, she was really looking forward to it,” Stephanie Grisham said.
Andy Grote, Hamburg’s interior minister, said 160 police officers had been injured in what he called “frightening” violence. Three officers required treatment in hospital, police said, noting that protesters had also used slingshots as well as thrown bottles and stones.
Ralf Martin Meyer, City police chief, told reporters that tight security around the conference area had caused protesters to fan out around Hamburg, forcing police to request 900-1,000 further officers as reinforcements from throughout Germany.
“We are focusing on securing corridors to make sure that the path for (leaders’) convoys is clear,” said Meyer.
“We have to expect everything, and we are expecting everything,” Grote said.
Police said violence that erupted during marches on Thursday continued into Friday, with far left protesters slashing the tires of a car belonging to Canada’s G-20 delegation and smashing windows of the consulate of Mongolia.
A police spokesman said only small numbers of far left or anarchist protesters were involved in disturbances, with the majority of an estimated 100,000 demonstrators in the city remaining peaceful. Some 12,000 took part in the main march.
On Friday, smaller groups of protesters attacked both manned and empty police cars, one of which was hit by a petrol bomb, police said.
One of the many police helicopters patrolling the skies was nearly struck by a rocket flare, police said in a statement. On Thursday the pilots of another helicopter sustained eye injuries after a laser was directed against them.
Police said they continued to dispel street blockades throughout Hamburg.
German states send more police to Hamburg as G-20 violence escalates
German states send more police to Hamburg as G-20 violence escalates
94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking: WHO
- Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision
GENEVA: More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.
“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.
It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.
However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the UN health agency’s technical lead for eye care.
The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.
In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.
Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.
Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.
- 2030 vision -
The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.
In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.
However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.
To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary health care and invest in the required surgical equipment.
States should also expand the eye-care workforce, training surgeons in a standardised manner and then distributing them throughout the country, notably outside major cities.
The WHO was on Wednesday launching new guidance for countries on how to provide quality cataract surgery services.
It will also issue guidance to help support workforce development.
Keel said the main issue was capacity and financing.
“We do need money invested to get rid of this backlog, which is nearly 100 million people,” he told a press conference.
While age is the primary risk factor for cataracts, others include prolonged UV-B light exposure, tobacco use, prolonged corticosteroid use and diabetes.
Keel urged people to keep up regular eye checks as they get older, with most problems able to be either prevented or diagnosed and treated.
The cost of the new lens that goes inside the eye can be under $100.
However, out-of-pocket costs can be higher when not covered by health insurance.
“Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel, head of the WHO’s noncommunicable diseases and mental health department.
“When people regain their sight, they regain independence, dignity, and opportunity.”
