Bolivia has one of the highest rates of blindness and visual impairment in South America with more than 230,000 people affected. With only 470 ophthalmologists serving 11.5 million people, Bolivia lacks the resources - as well as the necessary infrastructure, equipment and technology - to provide high quality eye health services.
In 2017, we launched our work in Bolivia with a new program focused on training the next generation of ophthalmologists. Our partner, the National Institute of Ophthalmology (INO), works with as much as 40% of the population in Bolivia, prioritizing patients who lack access to healthcare.
36 trainings for eye care professionals were delivered through our long-term training project in 2020.
Through our partnership we aim to strengthen the National Institute of Ophthalmology's existing residency program by enhancing the curriculum and providing critical resources for training and education. We are initiating a high quality wet lab for manual small incision cataract surgery (MSIC) resident training. Our focus is on the clinical aspects of blindness prevention, specifically to help improve delivery and access to high quality cataract surgery.
Through our regional presence and our collaboration with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), we are promoting the National Vision 2020 initiative and the National Committee for Blindness Prevention in the country, addressing eye health care issues holistically.
With your support and our skills and expertise we can train the next generation of eye care teams to help build a brighter future for the people of Bolivia.
