Poverty is a cause and effect of visual and other disabilities that increases social divide. Eradicating avoidable blindness enhances productivity. It thus impacts the many millions who are stuck in the vicious cycle of poverty and poverty-induced disability. Cataract remains the main cause of avoidable blindness across the world. If treated late or left untreated,…
At Seeing is Believing (SiB), we are always keen to find innovative ways to share learning from SiB projects and build networks between partners. Based on the success of our webinars held in 2016, we decided to continue this exciting learning opportunity. In April 2017 we held webinars on the theme of sustainability. The aims of…
Visual impairment and blindness is a serious public health problem in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (South East Asia). While they have made significant strides in trachoma elimination; cataract still remains a problem, responsible for 60% of all blindness. The National Eye Heath Plan 2017-2021(NEPH), the country’s first national strategic plan for eye…
In our fourth blog for World Glaucoma Week, James Muecke, an Ophthalmologist, an IAPB Eye Health Hero and Chairman for Sight For All, writes about the need for training for glaucoma in Asia, highlighting what they are doing. James Muecke AM teaching fellows Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and over half of the…
In our third blog for World Glaucoma Week, Dr Krishnadas, a senior consultant in the glaucoma services at Aravind Eye Care System writes about the need for glaucoma training and what Aravind is doing. Dr Krishnadas with a fellowship student Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in India and Asia, as in the rest of the…
Children of Cataract/ Photo courtesy: Julia Gunther for the #StrongerTogether photo competition March 8th is International Women’s Day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This day is also used to emphasise the need for gender equality. So, we shine light on the health inequities women face through a series of blogposts…
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Fred Hollows Foundation (courtesy Alison Carmody, Zara Khair and Bonnie Skinner) shines light on the work they are doing in Bangladesh to make eye care more accessible for women. Women in rural Bangladesh following an outreach eye camp/ Photo courtesy: The Fred Hollows Foundation Standard Chartered Bank’s…
At IAPB we are very keen to promote prevalence surveys on eye health, most often the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) method, as an important advocacy tool to inform health policy makers and planners. As governments face ever increasing demands on health budgets, the case for eye health services needs to be heard. Local…
In 2016, I worked with the Ministry of Health (MoH) Timor-Leste to carry out a national representative blindness and visual impairment survey there. The survey was carried out with generous financial support from Lions Club International Foundation, technical support from International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), South East Asia Region and local financial administration…
Timor-Leste in South East Asia–current listed as one of the poorest nations in the world—became an independent state in 1999. The country is divided into 13 administrative districts and 65 sub districts with a predominantly rural population of 1,257, 613 (Census data 2010) people. Timor-Leste has one referral hospital, in Dili, the capital. The hospital…
I am delighted to report back from a successful ‘dissemination workshop’ for data from the first-ever population based RAAB survey in Maldives. The workshop was organized by the WHO country office in Maldives and was graced by the honorable Minister of Health Her Excellency Ms Iruthisham Adam, Dr Tara Prasad Das, IAPB SEA Regional Chair, Prof. Henry Adala, LCIF Technical Advisor, Africa, Deputy Ministers and policy makers of Maldives and other eye care colleagues from the island nation.
In collaboration with IAPB South East Asia, VISION 2020 Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Health organized a national workshop on eye health action plan from 6 to 7 May, 2016. The main objective of the workshop was to come up with suggestions for the amendment on Sri Lanka’s National Eye Health Action Plan 2013…
On the first day of survey data collection we—Me, as the RAAB trainer and Mr Ubeydulla Thoufeeq as the Principal Investigator—were interviewed on live TV regarding the purpose and importance of survey to the country. After two weeks of preparation, I’m back in office and am happy to note that the data collection work is going on full-swing. We are using PEEK’s app for data-collection, which is making the recording of data easy and accurate (I had tested its first use in Nepal too). Data collection should be complete by the end of March and data analysis and result is expected by early April 2016.
Sankara Eye Foundation’s eponymous innovation, the Sankara Electronic Remote Vision Information System (SERVIS) is a real-time Blindness Prevention Surveillance System which enables any eye care provider to immediately access village-level information, helping it to reach out to the population in most need of eye care through targeted intervention and thus prevent blindness. A one of…
With the support from WHO- SEAR the IAPB SEA conducted a Trainer Training in Optical Dispensing Course at L V Prasad Eye Institute, Bausch and Lomb School of optometry in GPR Campus, Kismatpur, Hyderabad. This was a 10-day course for practising Optometrists or Ophthalmic assistants or Optical Dispensing personnel from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri…
IAPB South East Asia has supported the Nepal Ophthalmic Society and the Apex Body for Eye Health (Nepal’s national committee for blindness prevention with government and NGO representatives) to put together a standard protocol to be adopted by all eye hospitals in the country.
The capital city of Myanmar – Nay Pi Taw, a beautiful and well-planned city – is mainly inhabited by Myanmarese government employees and is a sight to behold. On 27-28 July, the city played host to ‘The National Stakeholders Consultation Workshop’, organized by the Myanmarese Ministry of Health (MoH), to develop a National Action Plan…
Ten days have now passed since Nepal’s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which struck on 25 April, with its epicenter very close to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. With victims’ numbers rising over 7,000 and work to reach survivors with vital supplies now under way, our thoughts are with all those affected from the devastation in that region. In any…
London web design Red Giant
