To maximize the impact of its programs in Armenia the AECP works closely with all sectors in the country and throughout the world - government, business, nonprofit. These include national and regional authorities, ophthalmologic and medical institutions, international and local organizations and companies, individuals, the Diaspora, international agencies for development and private corporations.
The AECP has developed and is currently managing four large-scale programs to provide eye care and combat eye disease in Armenia - reaching as many ages and population groups as possible. The AECP works closely with international organizations and each of these programs is designed and implemented in compliance with international standards. Additionally, the AECP works very closely with the Armenian Ministry of Health to establish national eye care goals and to develop targeted programs to achieve those goals. Their involvement in the AECP’s programs has always been significant and encouraging.
Please, watch below the interview with the AECP President, Roger Ohanesian M.D., about current activities of the Project.
1. “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes” - 2003 to date
Having established as “The Armenian EyeCare Project” Charitable Foundation in Armenia, the AECP initiated a program “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes” in 2003. It is aimed at strengthening the eye care delivery system and reducing preventable blindness in Armenia. Sponsored mainly by the Diaspora, the program was further developed and enhanced during the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and AECP cooperation through the years of 2004- 2011 in the framework of the Global Development Alliance. During the past three years, Orange Foundation has been a major contributor to the AECP medical missions in the regions of Armenia.
Five inter-linked directions make up the main components of the AECP work. They are - medical outreach, medical education and training, public education and training, research and data analysis, and capacity building.
More than 350,000 people have been screened and over 17,000 sight-saving surgeries and laser treatments have been performed in the Mobile Eye Hospital.
2. “Center of Excellence for the prevention of Childhood Blindness”, 2012 – 2015
The AECP, in cooperation with the USAID and the Ministry of Health launched a three year program “Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness” in 2012. The vision for this program is making specialized eye care accessible to all children in Armenia and surrounding countries and eliminating childhood blindness of ROP. It is the logical continuation of the “National Screening and Treatment Program on Retinopathy of Prematurity in Armenia.” that the AECP carries out since 2010.
Over 2,400 infants have been screened and 70 kids received free-of- charge high-quality laser procedures.
The program has approached one of the most challenging phases - ROP surgeries, which have never been performed in Armenia or the region before.
The AECP referred to Dr. Chien Wong, pediatric retina surgeon from the United Kingdom (Moorfields Eye Hospital and Royal Free London Hospital) to join the AECP medical team in a special mission organized on April 28-30 and July 4-7. During these days Dr. Wong and AECP physicians examined over 20 infants and young children with potentially blinding eye (retinal) diseases. Of these, four were selected for surgeries, based on several clinical decision factors, including the child's age, severity of disease and the potential long-term positive impact on the child's vision and life.
The surgeries took place at the CEPCB operating room at the Republican Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics, and Gynecology. Dr. Thomas Lee, Director of the Retina Department at the Vision Center of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the AECP mentor of the CEPCB program, used an innovative online monitoring system to observe the surgeries in real time and discussed the overall surgery procedure with Dr. Wong and other colleagues in the operating room.
Two training tools have been developed and put into effect with joint efforts of the AECP and the Orange foundation. They will open up education/training opportunities in eyecare for primary healthcare providers and ophthalmologists, clinical residents, medical students and other interested parties. Each of the suggested online training tools will have three components: - a/ digitalized textbook – to provide exhaustive information on a given issue; b/ video presentations - digests with case studies and delayed answers - to facilitate the learning process; c/ online self-test with randomized multiple-choice questions - to check the acquired knowledge. It will be available in three languages - Armenian, English and Russian.
The online tool is still in development process, and can be accessed here >>>
It is a five year project which is planned to start in 2014 with the establishment of a regional eye clinic in Tavush.
The Goal of the project is to enhance sustainable access to quality eye care in the regions of Armenia for all layers of the regional population and revitalize the regional eye care system in Armenia through establishment and permanent operation of secondary level eye clinics in 5 regions of Armenia. These clinics will replace the tours of the MEH and partially take over its humanitarian mission, as well as provide paid services to those who are not eligible for free of charge healthcare. Thus the Project will secure equal access to high quality services (as opposed to MEH, where services are available only for the socially vulnerable) and make the service self-sustainable.
3. Online Training Platform for Primary Health Care Providers and Ophthalmologists: 2013 – 2014
The online tool is still in development process, and can be accessed here >>>
4. “Revitalization of the eyecare system in the regions of Armenia”.
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| photo by Art Simon |
The Goal of the project is to enhance sustainable access to quality eye care in the regions of Armenia for all layers of the regional population and revitalize the regional eye care system in Armenia through establishment and permanent operation of secondary level eye clinics in 5 regions of Armenia. These clinics will replace the tours of the MEH and partially take over its humanitarian mission, as well as provide paid services to those who are not eligible for free of charge healthcare. Thus the Project will secure equal access to high quality services (as opposed to MEH, where services are available only for the socially vulnerable) and make the service self-sustainable.
