During three years of cooperation between the Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP) and Orange Foundation, large scale medical outreach programs were implemented in nine regions of Armenia, out of which Shirak and Aragatsotn regions were visited twice. The AECP attaches great importance to this strategic partnership in 2011-2013, which allowed 40,688 adults and 9,997 children receive free-of-charge high quality medical services.  Moreover, 6,498 residents underwent detailed examination on the Mobile Eye Hospital (MEH), while 3,768 had surgeries and laser treatment, 18,140 people received eye glasses. Furthermore, the AECP conducted eye care public education classes for 3,659 children in 53 local schools.  

 

On November 27, 2013, the managements of the AECP and the Orange Foundation visited the Mobile Eye Hospital stationed in Aparan. The objective was to become acquainted with the ongoing works in Aragatsotn region and summarize the overall results of the project.

 

“Care about people in general, especially children, is one of the foremost directions of philanthropic activities by Orange Foundation. This project, thanks to which thousands of people regained their eye sight, is targeting exclusively the residents of Armenian regions. We are glad to see that this initiative is bringing real changes to their lives,” said Francis Gelibter, Chairman of the Board of the Orange Foundation.

 

“If we summarize only 2013, we have screened around 17,000 adults and 4,000 children in Kotayk, Tavush, Lori, Shirak and Aragatsotn regions, and 1,715 of those people children have participated in public education classes on eye care. Around 1,700 surgeries and laser treatments were realized, around 6,500 pairs of glasses distributed. Overall, the results of our cooperation with Orange Foundation are really impressive, especially because we have managed to visit almost all regions of Armenia. We are glad to inform that pursuant to numerous requests by the Ministry of Health of Armenia, we will include Gegharkunik region (namely, its poorest regions – Vardenis, Chambarak and Martuni)  in our schedule of 2014 - we have been only once in this region during our activities since 2003. We hope to see Orange Foundation as our strategic partner during our mission of next year,” said Nune Yeghiazaryan, Country Director of the Armenian Eye Care Project.

 

The main objective of the Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes project  2014 mission is to make quality eye care accessible to the population of Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, Syunik, and Armavir marzes of Armenia which will help to prevent avoidable blindness in these regions. 

 

In addition, preventive screening of the general population will be performed by local ophthalmologists. The latter will see patients in the cities where they are housed or travel to villages and then refer them to the Mobile Eye Hospital.  In case there is no local capacity, the AECP medical groups will initiate the preventive screening, for example in Gegharkunik.  The MEH will travel to Ararat (April-May), Vayots Dzor (June), Gegharkunik (July-August), Syunik (September-October), and Armavir (October-December) to render the following services:

 

 

• General screening of adults and children (preventive screening in selected schools) 

• Detailed eye examination and laser treatment for all and surgery for the vulnerable population by the MEH  

• Refraction for all and provision of eyeglasses to the socially vulnerable population 

• Public education on eye care in schools of the visited regions

• Public education CDs for schools 

 

The project envisions screening around 15,900 people (11,300 adults and 4,600 children) providing 2,030 eyeglasses, performing 1,020 surgeries and laser procedures on the Mobile Eye Hospital (MEH) which will be stationed in the regional centers of each marz.