Global Consortium Programs

Cambodia

Strengthening Gender and Disability Inclusive Approaches to Community Eye Health to Reduce Avoidable Blindness

This program is reducing avoidable blindness and disability by strengthening provincial level services through improvements to Takeo Eye Hospital, while developing a district level Vision Centre and Optical Shop in Kiri Vong. By integrating a strategy for gender and disability inclusion, this program is enhancing access to eye care, rehabilitation and education by people with disabilities, women and girls.

Principal partner

CBM Australia

Supporting partners

Centre for Eye Research Australia, International Centre for Eyecare Education, Takeo Provincial Eye Hospital

Activities

• Establish a Vision Centre which will provide primary eye care including screening for eye disease, refraction and dispensing of glasses, and provide patient referral services.
• Develop an Optical Workshop which will support the work of the Vision Centre by making spectacles and providing equipment and technical support.
• Train 274 Cambodian eye health staff.
• conduct local awareness-raising activities as part of World Sight Day.
• increase the cataract surgical rate to 2,606 within five years to clear the cataract backlog.

The Fred Hollows-Foundation Australia-Cambodia Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment Project

This project will scale up existing efforts to address identified needs for eye care sector development in accordance with the aims of the Avoidable Blindness Initiative and priorities of the National Prevention of Blindness Plan of Cambodia. Program focuses are broad, and include research, human resource development, disease management, infrastructure development and outreach.

Principal partner

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Supporting Partners

The Cambodian Ministry of Health

Activities

• National refractive error survey of 4,000 school children.
• Ophthalmology residency training for nine graduates.
• Train eight graduates in refractive nurse training.
• Train 20 nurses as trainers of child vision care.
• Train 200 school teachers in child vision care.
• Train 545 community health workers.
• Construct a tertiary-level National Institute of Ophthalmology, and a primary eye care unit and secondary eye care hospital.
• Conduct 6,800 cataract surgeries and provide 5,000 spectacles.
• Deliver 218 community outreach eye care screening sessions.

Refractive error service development and capacity building in Cambodia

As part of ICEE’s strategy to improve access to refractive error services in the region, it is collaborating with other organisations to scale up eye care activities by establishing Vision Centres. By developing strategic partnerships, building on existing eye care services and training vision screeners, this program is increasing the scope of services offered to the community. Establishment of low vision services at Vision Centres is increasing access of disadvantaged groups, including the poor, people with disabilities, marginalised groups, women and girls, ethnic minorities, and those living in remote areas. Locating these services in the provinces will enable increased access by people with a vision impairment. Training of vision screeners to identify and refer patients who may need low vision services will also increase the reach of the service.

Principal partner

International Centre for Eyecare Education

Supporting partners

National Program for Eye Health, International Resource for the Improvement of Sight, Seva Foundation, Battambang Ophthalmic Care Centre, Cambodian Development Mission for Disability, Association for the Blind in Cambodia

Activities

• Refurbish two eye clinics and establish Optical Workshops in existing primary health facilities.
• Conduct vision screening and dispense spectacles.
• Conduct outreach screening visits.
• Host an annual meeting of refraction nurses from five provinces to share information and experiences.

Timor Leste

Expanding eye care services, capability and rehabilitation into rural Timor Leste

Existing eye health services are unevenly distributed and insufficient to meet demand. Ophthalmologists are based in Dili, and with 80 per cent of the population living in rural areas, access to quality eye care services by more remote communities is a significant challenge.

This program accords with the Ministry of Health National Eye Health Strategy. It focuses on overcoming current limitations and improving the quality of eye health services in Timor Leste, and is aimed at equipping the referral hospitals, enabling the resident ophthalmology team to carry out outreach activities in the districts, and strengthening local capacity.

Principal partner

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Supporting partners

Timor-Leste Ministry of Health, ProVision Eye Care, Fo Naroman Timor-Leste, Fuan Nabilan, Blind School, Vision Australia

Activities

• Identify and train a second Timorese ophthalmologist.
• Train ophthalmic nurses.
• Identify opportunities to provide ophthalmology services to referral hospitals.

Fiji

Capacity Building in Early Childhood Care and Education for young children with vision impairment

The project involves the scale up of existing activities provided by the Fiji government, NGOs and other stakeholders, with a focus on improving the quality of life of vision impaired children.

The project is increasing rehabilitation and preschool enrolments of children with vision impairments through the establishment of professional partnerships in the delivery of training programs for Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Fiji Society for the Blind personnel working in Fiji.

Principal partner

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

Supporting partners

Fiji Ministry of Health, Fiji Ministry of Education, Fiji Society for the Blind, United Blind Persons of Fiji, Fiji National Council of Disabled Persons, Suva Parents Association

Activities

• Increase enrolments of girls and boys aged 0-6 years with vision impairment into rehabilitation and education programs.
• Provide training in Sydney and Fiji to two Fiji Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education staff, to enable them to establish an early childhood care and education program.

Papua New Guinea

Strengthening eye care services in Papua New Guinea

This project is strengthening government capacity to provide effective eye care. It is expanding ICEE’s existing work at Port Moresby General Hospital and Mount Hagen General Hospital, Rabaul, Bougainville and Mendi. Collection of service level data from the facility, National Spectacle Supply Scheme and outreach activities, and qualitative data from interviews of individuals accessing the service and training reports, will provide information for the future development of eye care services to help eliminate avoidable blindness due to uncorrected refractive errors.

Principal partner

International Centre for Eyecare Education

Supporting partners

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, PNG Eye Care, Provincial Hospitals

Activities

• Establish three Vision Centres.
• Deliver outreach services to remote areas.

Samoa

Continuing development of eye health services and capacity in Samoa

The project aims to continue the development and implementation of a school vision screening program for Samoan children aged five to 12 years including developing Vision Centres, school screenings, training teachers and education.

Principal partner

Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

Supporting partners

International Centre for Eyecare Education, Ministry of Education, Senese School

Activities

• Develop and implement a school vision screening program for children aged five to 12 years.
• Provide training to three Spectacle Technicians.
• Establish one Vision Centre and an Optical Workshop at the Savai’i General Hospital.

Solomon Islands

Upgrade of national Vision Centres in the Solomon Islands

This National Referral Hospital upgrade includes new equipment such as a teaching microscope, steriliser and instruments. These upgrades are providing vision centres with permanent surgical facilities. Project focuses will include nurse training and refractive error services.

Principal partner

Foresight Australia

Supporting partners

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Centre for Eye Research Australia, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and The International Centre for Eyecare Education

Activities

• Provide refractive error services.
• Build local surgical capacity
• Implement a community vision screening program for children aged 0-12 years to identify those who require glasses, low vision aids or referrals to other services.
• Upgrade or build four eye clinics.
• Training of nurses and trainers.

Vietnam

Vietnam Australian Vision Support Program

The Vietnam Australia Vision Support Program aims to control the main causes of avoidable blindness in Vietnam and consists of three key components:

• build capacity of sub-national (province/district/commune) health systems to plan, manage and support provision of comprehensive eye care
• build capacity of district level to deliver appropriate comprehensive eye care services
• contribute to national policy by documenting and reporting lessons learnt and operational research into key issues.

Principal partner

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Supporting partners

CBM Australia, Centre for Eye Research Australia, International Centre for Eyecare Education and Ministry of Health Vietnam

Activities

The workplan is still under development with the Vietnam government and is due for completion in August 2010. Following the approval of the workplan, implementation will take place at central, provincial and district levels.

Strengthening gender and disability inclusive approaches to community eye health to reduce avoidable blindness – Nghe An and Son La Provinces

This program aims to further strengthen provincial, district and commune level eye care services and linkages between each level, and to ensure gender and disability inclusion at all levels of the eye care program.

Principal partner

CBM Australia

Supporting partners

Provincial Ministry of Health, Centre for Eye Research Australia, International Centre for Eyecare Education

Activities

• Focus on gender and disability inclusion to reduce avoidable blindness.
• Strengthen four district eye units.
• Provide eye health training to doctors, ophthalmic nurses, refraction nurses and spectacle technicians.
• Provide outreach activities to remote areas.

Vietnam eye care capacity development

Through a comprehensive approach to improving eye health services at the provincial and district level, this project will result in a substantial improvement to the service capacity of primary and secondary level eye care providers in six provinces (Ha Giang, Thai Binh, Quang Binh, Hai Duong, TT Hue and Tien Giang).

People with blindness and vision impairment, particularly the poor, are benefiting from strengthened services, clinical interventions and improved quality of life. Additionally, the project will address issues of inequitable access in remote and underserved areas of Northern, Southern and Central Vietnam.

Principal partner

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Supporting partners

Provincial Departments of Health

Activities

• Provide eye health training to GPs, district health staff and village-level health workers to identify eye health and vision issues early for treatment or referral, to provide refractive services and to perform surgeries.
• Construct a provincial eye hospital at Hue and renovate other eye facilities around the province.
• Perform up to 5,500 cataract surgeries, including subsidised specialised surgeries and refractive error screening.
• Strengthen the eye health sector’s capacity to plan, coordinate and monitor activities.

Refractive error service development and capacity building

This activity will scale-up the training courses available for eye care personnel to effectively manage refractive error. The number of eye care personnel trained in refraction and spectacle making at the Vietnam Institute of Ophthalmology will be doubled, with Da Nang developed as an additional training site. The capacity to conduct refraction courses in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City will be further enhanced.

Principal partner

International Centre for Eyecare Education

Supporting partners

Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology, Ho Chi Minh Centre Eye Hospital, National Technical College of Medicine

Activities

• Train and equip up to 160 eye doctors and nurses in refraction, 64 spectacle technicians, and 80 refractionists.
• Upgrade refraction training equipment.
• Establish a national refraction training office.
• Implement regional refractive error workshops.

Regional

Regional Training Resource

This project will provide information and identify resources and priorities for training needs in the region. Courses will be developed and implemented in gender, child protection, poverty and inclusion of minority groups.

Principal partner

Centre for Eye Research Australia

Supporting partners

International Centre for Eyecare Education, CBM Australia, The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Foresight Australia, Nossal Institute of Global Health, Vision Australia

Activities

• Analysis of the education, training and resources available in the region, particularly in poorer areas.
• Development of capacity in education and training.

Strengthening Western Pacific Regional Coordination

While the IAPB Western Pacific Region (WPR) has been a world leader in efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness, its capacity has been limited by resource constraints, particularly in the availability of personnel to cover the ground. For many years the IAPB Regional structure depended on IAPB regional chairs and co-chairs acting in an unpaid voluntary capacity to coordinate blindness prevention activity in the region at all levels. This was often difficult or impossible. In 2002 the WPR obtained funds to employ a paid IAPB regional coordinator who covered the region’s need for active advocacy and National Planning Coordination.

The current development need was identified by the regional chair, recognising the lack of resources and time for current IAPB regional and sub-regional co-chairs to facilitate planning and organisation between countries. The funding of a regional program manager to coordinate these activities will result in a successful up-scale of existing activities to achieve specific objectives.

Principal partner

CBM Australia

Supporting partners

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Vision 2020 Australia Global Consortium members

Activities

• Strengthen the capacity of IAPB sub-regional co-chairs to strengthen and expand advocacy and coordination in the region
• Deliver VISION 2020 workshops for regional governments, international non-government organisations and other organisations addressing avoidable blindness.