Unlike Cambodia, Lao PDR has yet to establish a National
Committee for the Prevention of Blindness. The Director
of the Ophthalmology Centre in Vientiane has been appointed
lead officer for blindness prevention and represents the
interests of the program on the MoH Health Coordinating
Committee.
In 2005, IRIS agreed to fund three eye care development projects in Lao PDR:
NEW EYE CLINIC, XAIGNBOURI PROVINCE
At a cost of $56,000 IRIS constructed the new eye clinic which was opened in November 2005. Xaignbouri Province is located to the north-west of Vientiane and its population of 370,000 is the third largest of all provinces in Lao PDR.
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New Clinic Xayabury Province |
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Michele handing over key for Xaignabouri Clinic |
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SCHOOL SCREENING PROGRAM, VIENTIANE
Also in 2005, IRIS funded a pilot scheme aimed at raising awareness of eye care issues amongst secondary school children and their families in the Vientiane. The concept was to develop a model of best practice that could then be implemented in other parts of the country.
Classroom
teachers in secondary schools in Naxaithong district,
Vientiane Prefecture, were trained by staff of the
Ophthalmology Centre to teach up to 10,000 pupils
how to test and record their own visual acuity and
that of family members. Each student received a writing
book specially designed with guidance notes on how
to take and record the outcomes of visual acuity testing.
Having tested all family members' students provided
classroom teachers with reports on those with poor
vision who required further examination.
Teachers collated this information and compiled a
report to the School Director. Directors of each school
detailed the poor vision cases to the Director of
Public Health and dates were then agreed with each
school for people in need of further examination and
surgery to attend the school and be examined by an
eye doctor from the Ophthalmology Centre.
Project expenses included the production
of 10,000 writing books with visual acuity testing
charts costing $0.10 cents each and an allocation
of $1,000 to subsidize the 100 cataract surgeries
resulting from the initiative.
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MOBILE CATARACT UNIT
In January 2007, IRIS provided
additional funds needed to for the Ophthalmology Centre
to convert a second-hand ambulance into a mobile cataract
unit. The vehicle is to be used to perform outreach
cataract surgery in remote, rural areas of the country
where people have no access to local eye care services.
Whilst IRIS has earmarked
additional funds to support further eye care development
initiatives in Laos, we are waiting for detailed proposals
from the Director of Ophthalmology that will build
on our previously supported initiatives.
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