Sri Lanka : IRIS Programs

Sri Lanka was wracked by civil war for more than 25 years, until Government forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009.

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 2009, 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 Kantale (north east) where the newly appointed Ophthalmologist will now perform 1,500 blindness prevention surgeries annually. All the ophthalmic equipment needed to establish a new eye clinic in Dickoya, in the heart of tea plantation country, was also purchased and the clinic is now under construction by the MJF Foundation.

With funds provided by Vision Charity in the United Kingdom, IRIS provided a grant to the Centre for Sight in Kandy to construct and equip a new Retinopathy of Prematurity Baby Screening & Treatment Unit.

EYE SCREENING, REFRACTION AND SURGERY PROGRAMS FOR POOR PEOPLE

In partnership with local Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs, the Eyecare Foundation of Sri Lanka (a local NGO), Welfare Officers in local villages and tea plantation companies, IRIS supported the staging of 49 eye screening, refraction and surgery camps that were attended by 9,501 people. Spectacles to correct visual impairment were provided free-of-charge to 6,625 people and 955 people underwent blindness prevention surgery to remove cataracts at eye clinics IRIS resourced with all the required medical consumables.

IRIS provided the medical consumables needed to perform 568 cataract surgeries for internally displaced people staying in Vavuniya and Mannar.

In 2009, IRIS entered into a partnership with Kahawatte Plantations Ltd to train 100 Estate Medical Assistants, Welfare Officers and Midwives working on their tea estates in primary eye care. Kahawatte staff is now organizing regular eye screening sessions for employees on all Kahawatte estates. The training course was held at the Centre for Sight in Kandy and tutored by Dr. Kapila Edussuriya.

Priorities for 2010:

High priority will be given to continuing the successful eye screening, refraction and surgery programs with the Eyecare Foundation of Sri Lanka and also with Welfare Officers working in the Central Province. 1,590 cataract surgeries will be supported resulting from 48 days of eye screening being staged. Surgery referrals will be made to the Lion’s Hospital in Panadura, the Centre for Sight in Kandy, Mahiyangana and Nawalapitiya Eye Clinics and the Wijaya Kumaratunge Memorial Hospital in Seeduwa.

IRIS will also establish agreements with two more Tea Plantation Companies and provide primary eye care training to their staff.

In 2010 IRIS is seeking to support the establishment of a low vision clinic at the eye clinic in Jaffna at a cost of £20,000. Jaffna was cut-off from the rest of the country during the civil conflict and the city witnessed wholesale massacres, disappearances of the civilian population and deterioration in the human rights situation. According to the 2001 census, the population of the municipality was about 145,600 people and the population of the Jaffna district was estimated at 600,000 people. The population has since been added to by the settlement of the internally displaced persons (IDP’s) who have barely any medical, education and social welfare facilities at their disposal. 85% of the population are Sri Lankan Tamil speaking Hindus.

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