The AECP and its partners aim at turning Armenia into a Center of Excellence in Ophthalmology in the Caucasus region. Building blocks of the “Capacity building” are the transfer of knowledge and institutionalization of services.

Since 1992, American physicians have been visiting Armenia on a semi-annual basis to transfer the know-
how and skills in ophthalmology to their Armenian colleagues.

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In addition, 12 international training conferences were organized. On the initiative of the AECP, five specialty clinics were established and equipped/revamped in the major ophthalmic centers of Armenia - S. Malayan Ophthalmologic Center and Kanaker – Zeitun Medical Center. These specialty clinics are: Retina, Glaucoma, Cornea and Uveitis, Neuro-orbital, Eye bank, and Low vision. These clinics are led by the Armenian ophthalmologists who had their fellowshipin the finest eye care institutions of the US thanks to the AECP
sponsorship. The AECP fellows now transfer their knowledge to their colleagues and students.

The AECP, in cooperation with the USAID and the Ministry of Health launched a three year program “Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness” in 2012. The vision for this program is that all children in Armenia and surrounding countries have specialized eye care available to them and that childhood blindness from ROP is eliminated.  It is the logical continuation of a national program “Prevention and Treatment of the Prematurity of Retinopathy” that the AECP carries out since 2010 in Armenia.