A Population Study and Outreach/Referral Screening Program to be undertaken by VOSH International commenced on 15 July 2010. The study aims to determine the incidence of presbyopia and its functional impact in Nicaragua, the poorest country in Latin America. The lead investigator will be Professor Kovin Naidoo, from the International Centre for Eyecare Education in Africa. He will be joined by Dr. Larry Hookway, immediate Past President of VOSH International.“The protocol that we are using was developed by the World Health Organization and is being done in India, South Africa, China, Mali, Argentina, Brazil and Nicaragua,” said Dr. Hookway. “Our goal is to demonstrate that the correction of refractive errors and especially presbyopia is both cost effective and that it increases productivity.”
The data for the quality of life and spectacle usage surveys will be collected by trained local workers and VOSH will use community health nurses to do screenings and dispense readers and ready-made equal sphere bifocals to an estimated 2,000 people.
Dr. Hookway said that the survey could provide baseline data that could be expanded for use across all of Nicaragua and other countries of Latin America and could assist with the establishment of permanent eye clinics.
Watch this new video from one of our project partners in Mozambique
