The annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) are among the foremost world scale events for knowledge sharing between U.S. and international experts in almost all areas of ophthalmology. Meeting delegates share the latest advances in their fields of expertise through specific presentations and exhibitions. This year, the AAO annual meeting took place in New Orleans on November 16-19, where AECP Mobile Eye Hospital (MEH) coordinator, Dr. Asatour Hovsepyan was hosted as a delegate from Armenia.  

 

Dr. Hovsepyan’s first visit to AAO in 2012 was made possible thanks to AECP and Rotary Club International.  During that visit Dr. Asatur Hovsepyan presented AECP activities to international audience, spoke about the countrywide program “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes”.  After his talk, there were many questions asked of him about the method of screening, the selection of sites, equipment and its longevity as well as difficulties of doing surgery on board and follow up care. Seeing so much interest, the Academy officials requested for a further demonstration and thus at the AAO 2013 convention.

 

This year, Dr. Hovsepyan presented a professional poster which highlighted treatment methods and statistics of various eye diseases in Armenia, on the example of MEH activities.   

 

AECP President, Roger Ohanesian M.D., also joined Dr. Hovsepyan at this event. They together welcomed all the experts interested in AECP activities and answered their questions.  The poster and the presentation drew quite a crowd of experts and journalists.  

 

Questions related to specifics of work at the MEH, average number of patients examined, types of surgeries performed, costs of running the MEH, etc.  

 

The main results of medical outreach achieved through the program “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes” with the involvement of the Mobile Eye Hospital (MEH) since 2003 to 2013:

 

• Over 10 % of the entire population of Armenia - 333,446 people were screened by the AECP medical groups in their villages or in adjacent settlements  (including 136,860 children)

• 36,651 people underwent thorough examination on the MEH

• 17,030 patients were operated on and treated on the MEH

• 59,588 eyeglasses were provided

 

The AECP Mobile Eye Hospital continues to be a unique medical facility of its kind, having a substantial role in making high quality eye care accessible to population of Armenia. The MEH still preserves the potential of being transferred as a real model for specific medical outreach to other countries where the eye care remains emerging problem.