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Al Noor Institute Doha Qatar in
collaboration with IAPB EMR and PBU is
organizing ‘Early Intervention Conference
for Children with Visual or Multiple
Impairments’. The conference aims to create
awareness amongst health, education,
rehabilitation, and social service fields on
early identification and intervention for
young children with disabilities. |
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Many
international experts in this field will be
speaking at the conference. Interested
participants are invited to attend. The
conference will be held in Doha, Qatar on
27-30 April, 2011 at LA CIGALE Hotel, Doha.
For more details visit
www.deic-qatar.com
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SiB project, Jordan
PBU held stakeholders workshop for Diabetic
Retinopathy program in Irbid
 The
PBU in conjunction with the Jordan Ministry of Health held a 2 day
stakeholders workshop to fine tune the strategies for the implementation of
the Standard Chartered Bank supported Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) program and
sensitize all major stakeholders in Irbid region. It was held at the
Intercontinental Hotel Amman, Jordan from 9 -10 February, 2011.
The workshop was declared open by the Secretary
General of the Jordan Ministry of Health, Dr Difullah Allawzi. The Chairman
of PBU, HRH Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Saud was represented by the Managing Director
of PBU Dr Abdulaziz AlRajhi. Standard Chartered Bank Jordan was represented
at the occasion by Razan Hindawi, Head of Corporate Affairs.
Dr Obeidet of MOH Jordan making presentation during the workshop
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Using the most up to date studies, WHO estimates that the number of people with visual impairment (presenting vision) is 285 million. Of these, 246 million have low vision (and 39 million are estimated to be blind). The Africa region constituted 15% of world blindness while the EMR had 12.6% of world total blindness.
Read more
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The PBU as a conglomerate of NGOs working in Middle East and Africa participated in a 3 day Africa wide meeting convened by the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Africa region, held from 16
- 18 February in Durban, South Africa. The meeting was attended by all major nongovernmental organizations (NGO) working in Africa, IAPB CEO, IAPB Officials including all the Co-Chairs for Africa, Research institutions and PBU partner organizations: Al Basar international, CHEF international and IMPACT EMR.
 PBU advisor Dr Qureshi making presentation at the meeting
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The PBU participated in the annual VISION 2020 NGO coordinating meeting for West Africa held 10-11 April 2011 at Guinea Conakry. PBU sought to establish partnership and collaboration with the NGOs in the sub region for future eye care programs and activities.
PBU also attended a stakeholders meeting for the Diploma in
Ophthalmology training institution for Francophone Africa- ‘DESSO’, held 13-14 April at the institute in Guinea Conakry. Human Resource development is an important program activity of PBU.
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The World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region office (WHO EMRO) in collaboration with International Agency for Prevention of
Blindness (IAPB) EMR, Ministry of Health Dubai and Sight Savers International conducted a 3-day workshop on integrating and strengthening primary eye care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).
The workshop was held in Gloria hotel
Dubai, UAE. It
was attended by the National eye care coordinators
and National primary health care coordinators in the
EMR countries, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
in the region, World Health Organization.
Group picture of participants
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The National Prevention of Blindness Committee (NPBC)
of Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the Saudi
Ministry of Health, Taif University and IAPB EMR
conducted a population based survey on blindness,
visual impairment, and Diabetic Retinopathy in Taif
region of Saudi Arabia. The survey used the new
Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness plus
Diabetic Retinopathy methodology (RAAB+DR). The
survey training and supervision was in part provided
by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine.
The survey conducted between November 2009 to
January 2011 examined 3,052 persons 50 years and
above. Preliminary results revealed a blindness
prevalence of 2.1%, with Cataract, Glaucoma and
Diabetic Retinopathy as the 3 major causes of
blindness. Diabetic Mellitus was present in 29% of
the study population, of which 17% had sight
threatening Diabetic Retinopathy.
An ophthalmologist examines for Diabetic
Retinopathy in the field
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IAPB EMR will be hosting the 2011 IAPB board and council of members meeting in Dubai, UAE from 10-14 September 2011
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Partner News:
Nadi Al Bassar
Nadi Al Bassar supported thousands of refugees of different nationalities who escaped from Libya to
southern Tunisian border town of Ras Jdir.
Nadi Al Bassar team in Ras Jdir
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Nadi Al Bassar
Over 800 cataract surgeries were conducted across different parts of Tunisia from last quarter of last year to first quarter of this year. Areas covered included Gafsa, Kalaat El Andalous, Testour etc.
Also cataract campaign was carried out in Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso. A total of 470 surgeries were conducted
between 26 November - 5 December. The expedition was supported by
Islamic Development Bank and the Tunisian Agency of
Technical cooperation.
Nadi Al Bassar team in
Burkina Fasso
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Al Noor Magrabi Foundation
Al
Noor Magrabi Foundation and the CBM Regional Office
for Eastern Mediterranean Region have initiated a mutual
strategic partnership. The first program within this
partnership is to establish Egypt Institute for
Community Ophthalmology. The Institute will provide
short and long academic courses in Community
Ophthalmology, Management for eye care and Training
for Ophthalmic Technicians. The Program is expected to start in 2011
with candidates from Egypt and Middle East Region.
Al Noor Magrabi Foundation participated in the global workshop of the Network of Centers for Community Ophthalmology "CCO" organized by Seva Foundation in LAICO, India during
26 – 28 February 2011. Representatives from developing countries and facilitators from USA, Canada & UK have
conducted brainstorming sessions to achieve additional one million eye surgeries by 100 hospitals a year by the end of 2015.
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Al Basar International
Foundation
In 2010, Al Basar International Foundation has organized 43 free eye camps in 24 countries in Africa and Asia. In these free eye camps the numbers of patients screened and treated were
177,289 while 15,073 had surgeries and
47,788 spectacles were distributed.
In the 20 base Al Basar hospitals across 8 countries a record achievement of over one million (1,044,847) outpatients were seen in the year 2010.
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CHEF International
The School Eye Health Programme is designed to improve quality of life and educational capabilities by eliminating blindness and visual disability due to uncorrected refractive errors in school children (5-12) of district/state of Pakistan and Nigeria. The strategy includes training of teachers, screening of school children, vision testing of teacher and family members and holding up health promotion and education sessions at community level (schools & communities) by trained School Eye Health programme personnel’s and vision van. The programme is also focused on operational research with Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) on refractive error and its services.
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