The International Eye Foundation News
The IEF Journey
The International Eye Foundation's staff is frequently onsite in communities across the world to bring services and guidance to eye care providers and eye hospitals. You can read their amazing stories here, straight from the pens of the IEF team. To receive IEF updates as they happen in our Newsletter, please sign up. [ Newsletter ]
IEF Journey Reports
30 MINISTERS OF HEALTH SIGN "YAOUNDE DECLARATION" [SEPTEMBER 2006]
Yaounde, Cameroon was the site of an historic special Meeting of Partners for Onchocerciasis Control in Africa, 26-27 September 2006. Organizations fighting “river blindness” along with Ministers of Health and their National Onchocerciasis Coordinators from 30 African countries, WHO, the World Bank, Merck & Company, and donors supported the recommendation to extend the successful African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) from 2010 to 2015. APOC’s goal is to free 150 million people at risk people in 30 countries. In 2005, 40 million people in 117,000 communities were treated with Mectizan® donated free by Merck. IEF is responsible for 2 million of these treatments in collaboration with the National Programs of Cameroon and Malawi. The extension will focus on conflict countries where Mectizan distribution has been delayed and in areas where people have other infections complicated treatment. “This program is one of the most successful public health initiatives in history and we are all proud of what has been achieved to stop this disease from threatening the sight of millions in Africa” noted IEF’s Victoria Sheffield who participated along with Board member Dr. Bernhard Liese of Georgetown University and the World Bank, and Patrice Nkwelle, IEF’s Project Advisor in Cameroon along with Cameroon staff. Ms. Sheffield and IEF staff then visited South Province, one of two project areas where IEF is responsible with the National Onchocerciasis Control Program for Mectizan distribution.
Notes on IEF Executive Director Victoria M. Sheffield's trip to South-East European Congress of Ophthalmology (SEECO), Sofia, Bulgaria [June 2005]
IEF Executive Director Victoria M. Sheffield gave a presentation on IEF's SightReach® Management program at the second South-East European Congress of Ophthalmology (SEECO) in Bulgaria. Read about Ms. Sheffield's honor here journey. [ Full Story ]
Emily's Story-Return of Sight
Mrs. Emily Mbazuwaze, an 80-year-old woman from Malawi, was losing her eyesight, impairing her ability to perform simple daily functions such as farming, sorting maize, walking without assistance, and caring for her grandchildren. She felt helpless until she found the Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital. The full story is available as an MS Word Doc download:
EmilyMalawi.doc [2.1Mb MS Word Doc]
The IEF's blindness prevention and sight saving programs are funded by governmental, foundation, and corporate contributors, as well as individuals like you who generously donate online. Our website showcases our successes and our breadth of services to the developing world. Feel free to contact us with specific questions or requests. [ Photo Gallery ]