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Participants laud VOSH/International's efforts at annual meeting
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VOSH/International recently reported on its annual meeting, highlighting the organization's successes and its wish to increase involvement.
According to the report on the VOSH website, Uduak Udom, OD, FNCO, FAAO, president-elect of the World Council of Optometry, discussed preventing avoidable blindness in Africa and urged the elimination of the use of recycled glasses.
John Barrows, vice president of programs for the International Eye Foundation, discussed the establishment of eye care programs in areas such as Nicaragua, Haiti and Peru, and supporting local eye care providers to establish sustainable eye care programs.
Nina Paloma, the CEO of FUDEM, said the private, nonprofit foundation that addresses the visual health needs of impoverished people in El Salvador has cared for nearly 2 million patients, performed 19,000 surgeries and dispensed 573,000 glasses in the last 5 years.
Gilbert Melgoza, the manager of VSP Mobile Eyes, discussed the international growth of the program, which helps optometrists and patient after natural disasters.
Luigi Buratto, OD, MSc, director of global human resource development for the Brien Holden Vision Institute, and Sara McGowan, OD, MS, head of the optometry department at Mzuzu University in Malawi, discussed how the VOSH Corps program will reach beyond the week-long clinics.
Additionally, Robert Stein, senior vice president of National Vision; Erika Klotz, regional program specialist of the Lions Club International Foundation; and Clive Miller, CEO of Optometry Giving Sight, praised optometry's efforts around the world and invited VOSH chapters to partner with their organizations to increase outreach.
VOSH-India, VOSH-Alberta and VOSH-Oklahoma were ratified as new VOSH/International chapters.