This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Aravind Eye Care System wins 2008 Gates Award for Global Health
SEATTLE — Aravind Eye Care System in Tamil Nadu, India, has won the 2008 Gates Award for Global Health for its pioneering efforts to prevent blindness and provide affordable eye care to the poor, according to a joint press release from Aravind Eye Care Hospital and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Foundation co-chair William H. Gates Sr. presented the $1 million award to Aravind chairman P. Namperumalsamy, MBBS, DO, MS, on May 29 at the Global Health Council's 35th Annual International Conference in Washington, D.C.
 P. Namper- umalsamy |
"The entire team of the Aravind Eye Care System is very much delighted and excited about this unique recognition for the work done to the community towards [eliminating] needless blindness," Dr. Namperumalsamy told Ocular Surgery News.
Since 1976, Aravind has grown from a rented house with 11 beds to a burgeoning system of hospitals and satellite clinics that provide eye exams, perform surgeries, train health care professionals, conduct research and manufacture eye care products, the release said.
"Aravind has its presence in five locations as tertiary care centers, 24 IT-enabled village vision centers, five community centers and four managed care hospitals in northern India," Dr. Namperumalsamy said. "AECS has done 2.8 million surgeries since its inception, and we have done 282,000 surgeries in 2007 — all with IOLs manufactured by Aurolab, available at a cost affordable by all."
In addition to its groundbreaking work fighting cataracts, the Aravind network is currently focusing on battling blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, as well as pediatric and refractive disorders.
"This kind of support is wonderful and ignites us to do more and to do better in all other areas of eye diseases," Dr. Namperumalsamy said.