Sri Lanka : IRIS Programs

Sri Lanka has been wracked by civil war for more than 25 years, a situation that continues today and has claimed the lives of over 65,000 people.

Many Sri Lankans, whilst not destitute, remain poor and vulnerable. Though estimated only 4% of the population now exists on under $1 a day, 41% still live on less than $2 a day. Although most poor live in the countryside, poverty rates per

capita in urban areas are only a little lower than rural areas. Though estimated only 4% of the population now exists on under $1 a day, 41% still live on less than $2 a day. Although most poor live in the countryside, poverty rates per capita in urban areas are only a little lower than rural areas.

The prevalence of blindness in Sri Lanka is 0.427%, and the commonest cause is maturity onset cataract which affects an estimated 135,000 people who have vision less than 6/60 (economic blindness).

During 2008, IRIS programs focused on:

EQUIPPING NEW & EXISTING EYE CLINICS

Increasing the number of eye clinics in the periphery, IRIS and the Rotary Club of Kandy funded all the ophthalmic equipment needed to establish a new eye clinic at Balapitiya Hospital (south west coast), where the newly appointed Ophthalmologist will now perform 1,500 blindness prevention surgeries annually.

IRIS also funded 12 pieces of essential equipment, cataract instruments and low vision devices being provided to seven existing eye clinics.

EYE SCREENING, REFRACTION AND SURGERY PROGRAMS FOR POOR PEOPLE

In partnership with local Rotary, Inner Wheel & Zonta Clubs, Welfare Officers in local villages and tea plantation companies, IRIS supported the staging of 65 eye screening, refraction and surgery camps that were attended by 13,871 people. Spectacles to correct visual impairment were provided free-of-charge to 8,560 people and 854 people underwent blindness prevention surgery to remove cataracts at eye clinics IRIS resourced with all the required medical consumables.

In 2008, IRIS entered into a partnership with Watawala Plantations Ltd to train 145 management and medical staff, welfare officers and midwives working on their tea estates in primary eye care. Staff are now organizing regular eye screening sessions for employees on all Watawala estates and IRIS is funding the cataract surgeries.

Priorities for 2009:

IRIS will continue to equip new eye clinics. Priorities in 2009 are new clinics in Kantale (north east), Dickoya (central south) and Diyatalawa (south). IRIS will also upgrade facilities in existing clinics and provide dedicated eye operating theatres for Ophthalmologists having to share theatre time with other hospital departments.

IRIS will continue to subsidize cataract surgeries for poor people at the Centre for Sight (Kandy) at eye clinics in Nawalapitiya, Mahiyangana, Avissawella and Seeduwa and in Vavuniya and Mannar.

IRIS will continue to target the provision of eye screening and refraction camps through partnerships already established with Rotary, Zonta and Inner Wheel clubs and Village Welfare Officers.

Establish agreements with Kahawatte Plantations and Bogawantalawa Plantations and provide primary eye care training to their staff.

IRIS will also seek to support initiatives to prevent childhood blindness and provide low vision devices and aids to children whose education is threatened due to their visual impairment.

IRIS & Rotary Village Eye Screening Camp		Patients returning home after cataract surgery