Prevention of avoidable blindness programme
Situation:
In the Rukwa, Katavi, and Kigoma regions, more than 5 million people live, 2.8% of whom suffer from severe visual impairment or blindness. Up to 80% of these visual impairments are treatable through education, medication, surgery, or eyeglasses. Improving eye care can significantly enhance the quality of life and employability of many people.
Objectives:
In accordance with the Tanzanian strategy for eye health and in collaboration with local partners, this project aims to strengthen the human capacity for eye care in disadvantaged regions of western Tanzania. The goal is to sustainably improve eye care for poor people by increasing the number of qualified local specialists and deploying ophthalmic assistants to rural areas, equipping clinics and ophthalmologic specialists, and providing on-the-job training, peer-to-peer supervision, distance learning, and support to raise awareness for, and improve the sustainability of eye care.
- Eye health consultations delivered per year = at least 30.000 in 2028
- Cataract surgeries performed per year = at least 2.000 in 2028
- Refractive error corrections per year = at least 5.200 in 2028
- Sensitizing and strengthening the awareness of the population through increased outreach and training of ophthalmic assistants and community health workers
- Training and further education of ophthalmic medical professionals
- Continuous improvement of clinical and management parameters through key performance indicators
Upon completion of the project, comprehensive eye care will be available in the three regions for the first time. By 2028, the three clinics will increase patient turnout at least twofold, cover all their variable costs and a significant part of their fixed costs.
- Outreach into the region through community health workers
- Comprehensive eye health services at each clinic
- Continuous improvement of clinical practice and active management for sustainability
Further information: www.TanZanEye.de
