Annual Report 2010 (PDF, 5.2MB) - Panalpina Annual Report 2012

Sustainable Growth
Social Commitment
Continued determination to fight poverty-induced
blindness
63
Over the past seven years, Panalpina has consistently demonstrated genuine passion
in supporting the Vision First program, which strives to eliminate avoidable blindness
in Ghana through providing timely clinical and surgical eye care to people who would
normally not have access to treatment of any kind.
In order to make a real impact, Panalpina has fully committed
itself to one key initiative: the fight against avoidable
blindness in Ghana. The Vision First initiative is trying to
attain the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by 2020.
Over 25 million people in Africa are estimated to be living
with visual impairment. One child goes blind every minute
and has a 50 % risk of dying within two years of the onset of
blindness. In Ghana alone, about a quarter million people –
or more than 1% of its estimated 22 million inhabitants –
are blind. Over 80 % of these cases are caused by preventable
and curable diseases such as cataract, trachoma
and nutritional blindness.
International and local resources for measurable progress
As part of its battle plan, Panalpina works in partnership
with the Swiss International and Ghana Red Cross Societies,
as well as the Ghana Ministry of Health. The Vision
First program has a three-pronged approach: treating eye
disorders that can lead to blindness, training specialized
medical personnel, and expanding the infrastructure and
technology base. This is made possible by a combination
of external funding, such as Panalpina’s support and local
resources. A key contribution to the program is the maintenance
of a network of volunteers that provide awareness
for eye care in remote village communities. These trained
volunteers conduct visual acuity checks, support the
affected in receiving glasses or treatment in the nearest
clinic and offer vital information on eye care that helps many
to avoid blindness in the first place. In 2009 Panalpina
again extended its commitment to Vision First for another
three years by pledging to contribute a total of CHF 600,000
over this period to help finance the fight against avoidable
blindness.
Some of the initiatives launched in 2010 were: the adaptation
of mobile surgical clinics to reach patients at subdistrict
and out-of-partnership areas; working with student
doctors and nurses to generate interest in ophthalmology
and the inclusion of Mothers’ Club leaders in volunteer
training to utilize their collective experiences with Red
Cross activities.
Detailed quarterly reporting on the Vision First program
and its planned annual initiatives and deliverables in
particular, allows for active engagement by all parties
involved – including Panalpina.
2010 results
Patients treated (clinics / in the field / schools) 154.482
Surgeries performed 2,135
Patients issued vision aids 1,275
Clinics / hospitals in operation 14
Persons reached by Red Cross volunteers for health
education
Number of personnel
www.panalpina.com / society
466,217
Ophthalmologists 1
Opticians 2
Nurses (trained to treat minor eye diseases) 27
Schoolteachers (with special training on healthcare
matters)
325
Active Red Cross volunteers 918
Fourteen clinics attend to over 38,000 individuals each
quarter. School screening activities are given particular
attention, as are optical services, cataract surgery and
community outreach activities reaching additional people.
Panalpina Annual Report 2010