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NEWS > World Sight Day > cbm vision work in Pacific and world

cbm vision work in Pacific and world

 
cbm vision work
 
In 2009, New Zealand’s support for cbm resulted in:
 
  • 12,243 cataract surgeries
  • An average of one glaucoma surgery each day
  • An average of 1.2 eye surgeries each day on people with trachoma
  • Support for three schools for children with visual disabilities
  • Support for two vocational training centres for blind and other disabilities
  • Support for the only optical workshop in Pakistan.
 
cbm-NZ improving eye health in the Pacific & around the world
 
New Zealand ophthalmologists have provided financial support for the refurbishment of an eye theatre in Goroka, Papua New Guinea.  This will allow the cbm-supported Goroka Eye Clinic to increase the number of cataract operations performed annually, and to grow the training programme for local eye surgeons.  Currently, the demand for cataract surgeries in Papua New Guinea is at least 12,000 per year, and it is hoped this clinic will provide for over half of those surgeries.
 
The Goroka Eye Clinic is part of the wider Callan Services for Disabled Persons.  This massive programme operates in 17 provinces of Papua New Guinea (PNG), providing ear and eye clinics, mobility appliances and running special education resource centres - and that’s just for starters.  Their ultimate goal is to ensure that services for disabled persons are included within the existing health, education and community services of PNG.  Due to strong stigmatism against persons with disability in the country, a significant portion of Callan’s work is community education on disabilities to break down the negative attitudes towards the disabled.  cbm has also provided a co-worker to PNG, who provides medical and technical expertise on disabilities.
 
cbm has two other Pacific projects operating in Fiji:
 
  • Project HEAVEN (Fiji)
Project HEAVEN (HEaring And Vision ENhancement), started in October 1998, and is located at Tamavua Hospital, Suva District of Fiji. The project conducts ear and eye screening for students in primary and secondary schools throughout Fiji. Children with vision and hearing impairment are referred to the nearest hospital or health center for medical intervention. The project also assists in provision of eye glasses and hearing aids, and has established a network with Fiji's Department of Education and Department of Health.
 
  • Disability Resource Centre (Fiji)
The Fiji School for the Blind and Resource Centre is located in the country's capital, Suva. It serves as a resource centre for the blind in the whole country and provides primary eye care and a job skills training programme. The programme includes: early intervention of visually impaired pre-school children; primary education for visually impaired children; promotion of public school systems that include children with visual impairments; community-based rehabilitation programmes. 
 
cbmNZ also supports eye care projects and vision related work in:

  • Burundi
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ethiopia(2)
  • Tanzania(3)
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Thailand
  • India(4)
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
Anita with patch on Saranyah and her grandmother Surumpayee Caroline deaf Community rehabilitation Emergency work Cornelius after ortho surgery
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