Yerevan July 4, 2016 – The Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP) held an international conference on “Development of Neonatology in Armenia” today within the framework of the USAID-funded “Improving Quality of Neonatal Care Services in Armenia” project.  The event was organized in cooperation with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), with the assistance of the Ministry of Health of Armenia.

The conference brought together renowned experts from Armenia and the United States to foster a vigorous exchange of information and knowledge in various specialties related to innovation in neonatology, neonatal care and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) – a disease of premature babies that can lead to lifelong blindness.  
Dr. Roger Ohanesian, AECP President and assistant professor of University of California, Irvine,  Sergey Khachatryan, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia; Astghik Grigoryan, Health Project Management Specialist at USAID Armenia; and Dr. Thomas Lee, Director of The Vision Center of CHLA and associate professor of ophthalmology, welcomed the participants of the event. 

The conference covered topics related to neonatal care in Armenia and abroad. Experts from the United States and Armenia presented the tendencies of improving health outcomes for premature infants and the use of innovative methods in neonatology. The conference also covered issues of retinopathy of prematurity as well as the activities of the project, implemented in 2012-2015 through the joint efforts of USAID, AECP, CHLA and AANM. Armenian ophthalmologists shared the results of the ROP program in Armenia over the past years. The program also summarized the results of the CHLA-AECP training for neonatal nurses which would serve as a model for other countries. 

The international conference gave an opportunity to discuss the international trends and practices in neonatology, exchange knowledge, strengthen cooperation with highly specialized physicians from the CHLA and discuss further partnership opportunities to benefit future generations of Armenia. 

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The USAID-funded Improving Quality of Neonatal Services in Armenia project was launched in 2015 with the support of the Armenian Ministry of Health. The project helps healthcare facilities deliver essential and quality newborn care to Armenian families, advances international newborn care standards, and addresses the leading causes of child mortality in Armenia. The two-year project is implemented by the Armenian Association of Neonatal Medicine in cooperation with the Armenian EyeCare Project.

The Armenian EyeCare Project (hereafter AECP) is a US-based charity organization founded in 1992 by Armenian-American ophthalmologist Roger Ohanesian, MD. Its mission is to eliminate preventable blindness and make eye care accessible to all people in Armenia. To this end, many highly qualified American academic ophthalmologists have been invited to visit Armenia to treat patients and share the knowledge with their Armenian colleagues. As well, large quantities of medication and equipment have been brought during this time to Armenia. Currently, the AECP is implementing four comprehensive and large scale programs, which are interlinked and yet have their specifics and target audience. All AECP programs are designed and conducted in adherence with international standards.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution that provides pediatric health care to more than 111,000 children each year in a setting designed just for their needs. CHLA is a provider of more than $232.6 million in community benefits annually to children and families. As the first and largest pediatric hospital in Southern California, CHLA relies on the generosity of philanthropists in the community to support compassionate patient care, leading-edge education of the caregivers of tomorrow and innovative research efforts that impact children at CHLA and around the world.