FIMA Year Book 2010-2011 - Federation of Islamic Medical ...

SAVE VISION INITIATIVE:
FIMA Campaign To Combat Blindness
SAVE VISION INITIATIVE:
FIMA Campaign To Combat Blindness
Hafeez Ur Rahman Hafeez *, Intzar Ur Rahman H.Butt, *, Zahid Intzar H.Butt, Latif, Zahid Latif,
Saeed Anwar, Usman Saeed Anwar, Raza, Usman and Ayesha Raza, S. and Abdullah Ayesha S. Abdullah
Abstract:
In early 2005, the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) launched a program to combat
visual impairments in developing countries of Africa, South and Southeast Asia. This ongoing program
was given the name: FIMA SAVE VISION.
To date, more than 80,000 eye surgeries have been performed, mainly for cataract, in addition to several
training programs for ophthalmologists and paramedics, eye hospitals established or properly equipped,
and memoranda of understanding and collaboration were executed with local, regional and international
organizations, concerned with preservation of vision.
In this article, achievements and difficulties of this ongoing program, over the past 7 years, will be
presented.
Key words: Visual impairment, Cataract, Healthcare, FIMA Save Vision.
Introduction:
The Federation of Islamic Medical Associations
(FIMA) started the SAVE VISION initiative in
January 2005, with eye camps in Darfur-Sudan.
The program has been a sustained activity aiming
at combating visual impairments, especially
cataract-related, in disadvantaged countries and
communities of Africa, South and Southeast Asia,
with weak eye care infrastructure and limited,
absent or poorly distributed qualified eye care
professional manpower.
Nearly 50% of causes of blindness is due to
cataract 1 .
The rest of causes are: Glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy, childhood blindness, trachoma,
onchocerciasis, …etc.
Blindness is most prevalent in developing
countries, where around 90% of the world’s blind
people live.
*Prof. Hafeez r Rahman
Professor of Ophthalmology
Peshawar Medical College- Peshawar, Pakistan
Director-FIMA Save Vision
E-mail: fimasavevision@dsl.net.pk
Around three-quarters of the world’s blind
children live in developing countries in Africa and
Asia 2 .
Global Causes of Blindness 1
FIMA Save Vision website: www.fimasavevision.org
FIMA YearBook 2010-2011
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