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Rotarian Ophthalmoscope Initiative

Sightsavers and Rotarians are working together to deliver an award-winning eye care device to the developing world.

The Rotarian Ophthalmoscope Initiative, set up by Stevenage Grange Rotary Club, raises money to purchase the award-winning ophthalmoscope, a device used to examine people's eyes, and Sightsavers, together with other eye care charities, distributes the devices to the places where they are most needed.

Unlike other such devices this ophthalmoscope has no lens, which makes it cheap to produce, portable and robust - perfect for use in countries where roads are often bad.

It can also be used with minimal training by health professionals domestically, outside of a hospital environment, as well as by volunteers operating in the field within less developed countries.

Serious life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, which can be detected in the eye, can be picked up by the instrument as well as other preventable eye conditions such as cataract.

Phil Hoare, Sightsavers Procurement Manager says: "One of the biggest challenges facing international charities is the procurement of equipment that is both cost effective and appropriate for less developed countries. We have tested 80 of the units in five countries and the results were very positive. The ophthalmoscopes will be distributed to eye care workers, ophthalmic nurses and ophthalmic medical assistants in less developed countries, with the assistance of other VISION 2020 eye care charities. We are confident that the donation programme will make a difference to saving sight in some of the world's poorest communities."

For more information visit www.roisight.org


 

Statistics

Working with partners last year, we helped to:

  • Treat over 14.2 million people for potentially blinding conditions
  • Carry out 238,514 cataract operation
  • Train 59,945 primary eye care workers

Related Information

  • It costs just £27 for a child cataract operation