Vision Aid Overseas

1. Vision Aid Overseas

2. Vision Aid Overseas • VAO Vision, Mission & Objectives

3. VAO Vision, Mission & Objectives • “Our Vision • Vision Aid Overseas works for a world in which everyone has access to eye care and spectacles. “

4. VAO Vision, Mission & Objectives • “Our Mission • Vision Aid Overseas fights poverty by transforming access to eye care for people in developing countries by utilising the expertise of volunteers to establish Vision Centres, train eye care workers and develop primary eye care services.”

5. VAO Vision, Mission & Objectives • “Our Objects • The charity’s objects are defined in the Memorandum of Association as: “the preservation and protection of eye health and treatment of eye defects among poor persons overseas, in particular by providing or assisting in the provision of optometric and optical eye services, eye surgery and other related facilities.”

6. Some Key Facts...... Vision Aid Overseas

7. 10% (670 million) of the world’s population are visually impaired because of uncorrected refractive error. Vision Aid Overseas

8. Over half a billion (8% of the world’s population /77% of the total number of those who are visually impaired) are presbyopic and can easily be treated with reading glasses. Vision Aid Overseas

9. 13 million children around the world need glasses. Many of these children risk missing their education because they can’t see well enough to learn. Vision Aid Overseas

10. Women account for two-thirds (447 million / 7% of the world’s population) of the people who are visually impaired because they cannot get the glasses they need. Vision Aid Overseas

11. 90% of people who are visually impaired due to uncorrected refractive errors live in developing countries. Vision Aid Overseas

12. The main reasons people cannot get glasses in developing countries are: a lack of trained eye care professionals; inadequate facilities to get an eye test and to manufacture glasses; and because the high cost of glasses if often too expensive for the average citizen. Vision Aid Overseas

13. Uncorrected refractive error can hinder education, career opportunities and cause an economic burden on society. Vision Aid Overseas

14. Vision Aid Overseas About Vision Aid Overseas (VAO).......... Fighting Poverty by Transforming Access to Eye Care

15. Vision Aid Overseas • Vision Aid Overseas is a UK-based NGO (non-governmental organisation) focusing on fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care services in developing countries. • Vision Aid Overseas was founded in 1985. Since its foundation, VAO has helped over 1 million patients by gaining access to eye care services.

16. Vision Aid Overseas Where do VAO work? • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Ethiopia • Ghana • Malawi • Sierra Leone • Uganda • Zambia

17. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • Community outreach services run by Optometrist and Dispensing Opticians, often in very remote areas where it can be their only hope of accessing any optical services. • By working with local hospitals, eye exams can also identify patients with more complex eye problems that can be referred on to them for further treatment.  • By working with local hospitals, eye exams can also identify patients with more complex eye problems that can be referred on to them for further treatment.  • Help areas to become more self-sufficient in eye care services by providing training for doctors, nurses, ophthalmic clinical officers and technicians.

18. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • Vision Aid Overseas is committed to establishing locally based eye care services in every country in which they operate. One major contribution is the development of Vision Centres where patients can receive a walk-in eye examination, purchase an affordable pair of glasses and be referred for further specialist care if necessary. To operate effectively, Vision Centres must have trained personnel, facilities for eye tests and an optical laboratory where glasses can be glazed. 

19. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • VAO has a duty to ensure that Vision Centres operate at a high standard by sending volunteers to service the equipment and ensure ongoing training for local personnel. • Ultimately, Vision Centres should become entirely self-sufficient and provide long lasting access to eye care for their local communities.

20. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • This ranges from teaching clinical skills to student optometrists and refractionists to providing practical training for dispensing opticians and glaziers in how to manufacture glasses. 

 • Sustainability is also central to all education and training. For example, VAO ensures that the management skills required to run Vision Centres are a central part of the courses. Ongoing training is essential for developing eye care skills to identify trainers who can pass on skills to others. • Help areas to become more self-sufficient in eye care services by providing training for doctors, nurses, ophthalmic clinical officers and technicians.

21. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • The VAO aim is to establish and support 18 Vision Centres by 2015 to provide access to eye care for six million people.

22. Vision Aid Overseas What VAO do? • VAO also work in collaboration with a large number of other organisations including Sightsavers, ORBIS International, Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Ministries of Health in our partner countries.

23. Vision Aid Overseas Three Year Highlights April 2009 - March 2012 • Developed Vision Centres providing access to eye care for 3.3m people in local districts

24. Vision Aid Overseas Three Year Highlights April 2009 - March 2012 • Directly examined 110,719 patients and dispensed 76,635 spectacles through our Vision Centres and the provision of primary eye health services.

25. Vision Aid Overseas Three Year Highlights April 2009 - March 2012 • Established and supported 11 Vision Centres • Worked with four universities providing optometry courses • Established supply chains and distribution mechanisms for spectacle lenses, frames and ready readers

26. Vision Aid Overseas Three Year Highlights April 2009 - March 2012 • Sent 357 volunteers on international programmes • Provided 24,982 hours of training to 401 healthcare workers and students

27. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda • Zambia • Ethiopia

28. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

29. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

30. Uganda My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

31. Uganda My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

32. Uganda

33. Uganda My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

34. Uganda My personal experiences with VAO. • Uganda

35. Uganda But it's not all just hard work....

36. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Zambia

37. Vision Aid Overseas

38. Zambia

39. Zambia My personal experiences with VAO. • Zambia

40. Zambia My personal experiences with VAO. • Zambia

41. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

42. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

43. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

44. Ethiopia My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

45. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

46. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

47. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

48. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

49. Vision Aid Overseas My personal experiences with VAO. • Ethiopia

50. Vision Aid Overseas Some journeys can be a little treacherous!