Fourth Quarter 2012

Season greetings

Low Vision and Rehabilitation Course in Jeddah Saudi Arabia, 2 - 6 February 2013

The Ebsar Foundation, in collaboration with the Saudi National Prevention of Blindness Committee (NPBC) and the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO), invites you to its 5-day intensive course on Low Vision Rehabilitation which will be held from 2 - 6 February 2013 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A faculty of distinguished, multidisciplinary local and international experts will lead the training. The target audiences are ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians & occupational therapist. For more details, click here.

EMR Regional Workshop on Low Vision and Rehabilitation Services 10 - 12 December, Doha, Qatar

The PBU in collaboration with the IAPB-EMR concluded a workshop on Low Vision and Rehabilitation (LVR) Services in Doha, Qatar from 10 - 12 December 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to create awareness about LVR services as a part of comprehensive eye care and develop a regional strategy for LVR. The meeting was attended by local and international experts on low vision, the Coordinators for the PB from 19 EMR countries, WHO EMRO, World Blind Union, professional bodies and many NGOs. Al Noor Institute for the Blind, Doha and Shafallah Foundation Qatar generously supported the workshop. For the workshop recommendations, click here.

Saudi Arabia develops strategic plan for the control of diabetic retinopathy

The Saudi Arabian National Prevention of Blindness Committee (NPBC), in collaboration with the King Saud University (KSU) and Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH), organized a strategic planning workshop for the control of diabetic retinopathy in the Kingdom. The workshop was held 25 - 26 November 2012 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was attended by regional and international experts in diabetic retinopathy control, endocrinologists, general physicians, ophthalmologists and vitreo-retinal surgeons within Saudi Arabia, and MOH officials.

Tanzania Project: PBU sponsors ophthalmologists for fellowships in India

PBU through a funding support of Prince Ahmad Abdulaziz Al Saud is sponsoring 2 ophthalmologists from the Muhimbili University of Health Sciences Dar es Salam to undertake fellowship training. Dr Neema Daniel had commenced an 18 month fellowship training in Glaucoma at the prestigious LV Prasad Eye Institute Hyderabad, India. While Dr Paul Nyaluke will commence a 1 year fellowship program in Pediatric ophthalmology at the esteem Aravind Eye Hospital Madurai India.

Dr Neema in the clinic

Tanzania: PBU donates ophthalmic equipment to Ophthalmology Department of MUHAS

The PBU in support of the East Africa College of Ophthalmology in upgrading ophthalmology training in Muhimbili University of Health Sciences (MUHAS) Dar El Salam Tanzania had donated to the University a number of diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic equipments in the last one year. This includes slit lamp microscopes, operation microscopes, operating tables and supporting facilities, surgical equipments etc. PBU support to the MUHAS is made possible by a generous donation from Prince Ahmad Abdulaziz Al Saud from Saudi Arabia.

Some of the donated equipment

Al Basar International Foundation holds Community Eye Health Course in Sudan

Al Basar International Foundation (BIF) held a three days Short course on Community Eye Health from 21 - 23 November at Makkah Eye Complex, Khartoum Sudan, a hospital owned by BIF. It was held in collaboration with CHEF International & PBU. 23 participants (Ophthalmologists, Optometrists & Eye-care Mangers) mostly from Sudan, 2 from Yemen and 1 from Afghanistan attended the course. During the period also the 3^rd batch of Ophthalmic Assistants and 1^st batch of Ophthalmic Technologists trained by Makkah Ophthalmic Technical College (an institution of BIF) graduated.

Nadi Al Bassar conducts cataract surgery eye camp and training in Cameroon

Nadi Al Bassar in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank and Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation performed the 7^th mission in Douala Cameroon. 460 adults with 4 children had their vision restored after cataract surgery. During the camp, 6 young ophthalmologists were also trained on small incision cataract surgery. The Cameroonian Minister of Health and the Governor of Douala celebrated the event by field visit.

Some of the children and the Sisters of the church operated with Dr Zbiba

World Sight Day 2012

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi National Prevention of Blindness Committee (NPBC) chaired by Prince Abdulaziz Ahmad Abdulaziz, in collaborations with many institutions, hospitals and eye medical centers in the Kingdom, conducted the World Sight Day 2012 (WSD2012) on Thursday 11^th of October 2012 in three regions of Saudi Arabia. The activities conducted included: awareness lectures and brochures, free eye examination, exhibitions showcasing the different eye diseases.

CHEF Pakistan

This year CHEF- International, Pakistan celebrated this very significant event with key focus on creation of public awareness regarding preventable causes of blindness. All the activities were organized involving eye care teams with the active community participation. The teams multiple activities like public awareness walk, seminars and screening of school children for refractive errors or low vision. See detailed program.

RAAB DR survey in Irbid Jordan

For evidenced-based planning and monitoring the DR project in Irbid Jordan had conducted RAAB + DR survey a population based survey. A total of 3800 persons 50 years and older randomly selected had blood sugar test, eye examination and DR grading for the diabetics among them. The results of the research is being processed.

Health education materials for DR control distributed in Irbid Hospitals

No control of eye complications of diabetics can be achieved unless the public and the diabetics know about measures to prevent, control and take care of diabetes. In view of that the DR project in Irbid, Jordan produced posters, pamphlets, rollers and ceiling hangers to educate not only diabetic patients but also the general public on ways for diabetics to take care of their eyes to prevent visual loss.

EMR Health Ministers support new action plan and inclusion of PB within WHO priority

The Ministers of Health of the EMR had unanimously accepted a resolution supporting the draft action plan for prevention of blindness 2014-19 and also the inclusion of Prevention of Blindness within the WHO priority area of work. This was during the 59^th WHO-EMR regional committee meeting held in Cairo 1 - 4 October. The resolution was submitted by Saudi Arabia and accepted by the other 22 countries of the region. This was a result of the high level advocacy effort undertaken by the IAPB-EMR office.

IAPB 9^th General Assembly: Prince Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Saud re-elected as a chair for IAPB-EMR

In recognition of his continuous support and effective leadership in eye care regionally and internationally, Prince Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Saud has been re-elected as chair of the IAPB-EMR. Also, the regional chairs for Africa and Western Pacific were re-elected. But the other four regions have following new chairs, they were Prof Janos Nemeth for Europe; Prof Louis Pizzarello for North America; Dr Juan Batlle for Latin America and Dr Taraprasad Das for South East Asia.

Two persons from EMR received IAPB awards

At the 9^th IAPB General Assembly in Hyderabad a number of personalities that have contributed immensely to eye health and prevention of blindness in their own ways were honored. Two persons from EMR IAPB received EMR regional awards. They were Dr Jaouad Hammou, the Moroccan National Coordinator for PB and Dr Rubina Gillani, the Country Director of Fred Hollows Foundation Pakistan.

Dr Gillani's Representative and Dr Hammou receiving the award

New WHO Action plan being developed

A new action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment for the period 2014-2019 titled Universal Access to Eye Health: A Global Action Plan, 2014-2019 is being developed by the World Health Organization. The draft is expected to be approved by the WHO Executive Board in January 2013 for onward ratification by the World Health Assembly in May 2013 in Geneva.

1^st International Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and NCD in the Arab World and Middle East

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean regional office held a conference on Healthy lifestyles and Non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 10 - 12 September 2012. The meeting had in attendance high level WHO officials and representatives from ministries of health, foreign affairs and planning from Arab countries, UN funding agencies and other key international organizations. The meeting focused on the implementation of the UN Political Declaration on NCD in the Region. At the conference the IAPB-EMR and the Saudi National Prevention of Blindness Committee made presentations on the relationship of prevention of blindness control/eye health and NCD control.

Jordan DR Project: Ophthalmologists retrained in modern advances in the management of Diabetic Retinopathy

As part of the Diabetic retinopathy control project in Irbid Jordan, being sponsored by the Standard Chartered Bank and implemented by PBU and the Jordan Ministry of Health, 14 ophthalmologists from hospitals in Irbid received an intensive update course on early detection and treatment of Diabetic retinopathy from 26 - 28 May 2012.

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