Event launches Caribbean Vision 2020 initiatives

Event launches Caribbean V2020 initiatives

Sightsavers and our partners in the Caribbean recently had two reasons to celebrate; the launch of a European Union funded five-year project that significantly contributes to the elimination of avoidable blindness in the region and the launch of the Caribbean's Optometry Degree programme, based at the University of Guyana. Both initiatives were launched at an opening ceremony hosted by the Caribbean Council for the Blind - Eye Care Caribbean (CCB) in Guyana, marking the beginning of a very exciting time for the future of eye health in the region.

The event was formally opened by Guyana's Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (acting in the capacity of President) and was attended by Dr. Leslie Ramsammy (Minister of Health, Guyana), Dr. Lawrence Carrington, (Vice Chancellor, University of Guyana) and Mr. Rigo Belpaire, (representative from the EC Delegation in Guyana). Representatives from Sightsavers and all of our partners in the Caribbean - CCB - Eye Care Caribbean, Eye Care Guyana, Jamaican Society for the Blind, St Lucia Blind Welfare Association and Société Haïtienne D'Aide aux Aveugles (Haitian Society for the Blind), attended the ceremony and delivered impassioned speeches on the state of the region's eye health. Kimberly Dutchin, a trainee refractionist, closed the ceremony by thanking all those present and requesting their continued support for a project designed to improve eye health in the Caribbean.

Although both the five-year project and the new degree programme mark real breakthroughs in the fight against avoidable blindness, the hard work starts now.

Delivering Vision2020
The five-year project will significantly contribute to achieving the goals of Vision2020, the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, by training skilled eye care workers, building new vision centres and surgical labs, refurbishing existing facilities and providing equipment that is vital to the prevention of avoidable blindness,.

The project will also look to improve the ways governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector work together to ensure that poor, rural and marginalised people receive the best possible eye care. As part of the project Sightsavers and our partners will also embark on a wide ranging communications programme that aims to raise public awareness of eye health issues, which is currently very low, by spreading the word about eye care through television and radio campaigns, newspapers and our dedicated health workers. Click here to find out more about Vision2020 and this fantastic long term project.

Eye care experts of the future
The launching of the Optometry degree programme is equally exciting, and marks a real breakthrough in the region. For years Sightsavers and our partners have been calling for more investment into the development of skilled eye health workers for the Caribbean, and now the courses on offer at the University of Guyana will ensure eye health professionals from the region will gain the highest quality education and accreditation and can help prevent avoidable blindness for many years to come.

Opening ceremony
Following the playing of the national anthem by the Guyana Police Force Band, more music was provided by the wonderfully talented visually impaired calypso singer Lady Tempest and Acting President of Guyana, Samuel Hinds, was awarded the James Alves Award. These acclaimed awards, named after the inspirational pioneer of services for blind people in the Caribbean, reward those who work to improve the lives of visually impaired people across the region. President Hinds received his award in recognition of the pivotal role his government play in improving the standard of eye health care in Guyana.

Speaking of Sightsavers' involvement in the Caribbean at this crucial time Philip Hand, Programme Manager for the Caribbean, said: "We are very excited by the project we are undertaking. It will contribute to and compliment the activities of governments, international and national agencies and communities. We all want the same outcomes - we want people to have access to services, to see better, to have a better quality of life and to contribute to society and the economic development of their countries and the region.

This project is implemented by Sightsavers International in collaboration with the Caribbean Council for the Blind - Eye Care Caribbean, Société Haïtienne d'Aide aux Aveugles, St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association, Jamaica Society for the Blind and Eye Care Guyana and is funded by the European Union.